Compare Cost of Living Help
Learn more about CareerOneStop's Compare Cost of Living tool.
What does this tool do?
CareerOneStop’s Compare Cost of Living tool helps you understand how much more or less it might cost to live in a different location.
When you enter your current location and salary (or hourly wage), the tool uses a cost-of-living equation to show you the salary or wage amount that would pay for a similar lifestyle in the new location that you select.
If you’re thinking about relocating, this tool can help you answer questions such as:
- Will my expenses be more or less if I move to a new city or state?
- How much would I need to make to afford my current lifestyle if I relocate?
- Should I ask for a higher salary if I relocate?
What does “cost of living” mean?
Cost of living is an estimate of how much it would cost to cover basic expenses such as housing, food, and other necessities in a particular place. The cost-of-living equation used in this tool was developed by the Analyst Resource Center and is based on yearly estimates of the basic-needs cost of living for a typical family, including monthly living costs in seven cost categories: food, housing, health care, transportation, child care, other necessities, and net taxes.
The cost of living data used in this tool is available at a county level for counties in all 50 U.S. states, as well as the District of Columbia. When you enter a city and state or a ZIP code, you’ll see data for the related county.
Can I save my results from this tool?
You can save your results by printing a copy of your results page or emailing a copy of the page to any email address. You’ll find the Print and Email icons above your results. In most browsers, you can also save a .PDF copy of your results by selecting the Print icon, and then selecting “Save as PDF” from your print options.
Where does this data come from?
The cost of living data and equation used in this tool were developed by the Analyst Resource Center and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development Labor Market Information Office. Find detailed methodology about this Minnesota Method, National Cost of Living (MS Word doc).
Who can I contact for help?
If you have questions about this tool or the cost of living data or equation used, please contact the CareerOneStop Service Center at info@careeronestop.org.