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Cost of Living Calculator

What salary keeps your life whole in a new city?

Pick two US cities and your current salary. See the equivalent needed to maintain your lifestyle, plus a category-by-category breakdown of what's actually different.

$142,101

equivalent in San Francisco

+49.6% vs. current

The move

Category breakdown

Housing+83.3%
Food+27.1%
Transport+15.0%
Healthcare+26.0%
Utilities+1.9%

Result

Equivalent salary

$142,101

Raise needed

$47,101

Austin index

119

San Francisco index

178

Freedom Coach™

To keep your lifestyle in San Francisco, you'd need $142,101 (+49.6%).

San Francisco is more expensive than Austin by roughly 49.6%. Housing usually drives the biggest gap.

  • Housing alone is +83% different.
  • Negotiate a relocation adjustment — most employers benchmark to local COL.

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Frequently asked questions

Where does this data come from?

We use a composite index blending the US Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (RPP) with Numbeo cost-of-living data, normalized so the US average = 100.

What does 'index 150' mean?

It means that city costs about 50% more than the national average across housing, food, transportation, healthcare, and utilities combined.

Should I ask for exactly the equivalent salary?

Use it as your floor — the minimum to keep your lifestyle whole. Push for 5–10% above that to reflect the friction of moving and to give yourself a real raise.

Why is housing weighted so heavily?

Housing is 30–40% of the average household budget and varies enormously between metros. A $400k Austin home can easily cost $1.2M in San Francisco.

Can I use this for international moves?

Not yet — this tool covers US cities only. International moves involve currency, taxes, and healthcare that need their own analysis.

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