Cost of Living Calculator
Compare 120+ cities worldwide & see the salary you'd need to keep your standard of living
Category breakdown
How prices in the destination compare to your current city (negative = cheaper there).
What Is a Cost of Living Calculator?
A cost of living calculator compares how expensive it is to live in one city versus another, so you can work out the salary you would need to keep the same standard of living after a move. This tool covers 120+ major cities across 70+ countries and shows every result in the destination city's local currency — from US dollars and euros to Indian rupees, Japanese yen, Brazilian reais and dozens more.
How the Comparison Works
Each city has an overall cost-of-living index where New York City = 100. A city at 50 is roughly half as expensive as New York; a city at 90 is about 10% cheaper. To find your equivalent income, the calculator:
- Converts your income to a common base using approximate exchange rates.
- Scales it by the ratio of the two cities' price levels (destination ÷ current).
- Converts the result into the destination city's local currency.
For example, if you live comfortably on $80,000 in New York, you would need far less in Mumbai or Cairo, and noticeably more in Zurich or Geneva to buy the same basket of housing, food and everyday spending.
What the Index Includes
- Overall index — housing, groceries, transport, dining and everyday goods combined (this drives the equivalent-income figure).
- Rent — usually the single biggest difference between cities.
- Groceries — supermarket food and household basics.
- Restaurants — eating and drinking out.
Tips for a Realistic Comparison
- Use your after-tax take-home pay rather than gross salary — tax systems differ hugely between countries.
- Housing dominates. If you'll rent a very different size of home, look at the rent bar specifically.
- Exchange rates move daily. For an exact conversion on moving day, check a live FX rate.
⚠️ Disclaimer: This calculator gives directional, planning-level estimates only. Cost-of-living indices are based on Numbeo-style crowd-sourced price data (2024–2025) and the built-in exchange rates are approximate mid-2025 reference values, not live rates. Actual costs vary by neighbourhood, lifestyle, household size, tax, and the exchange rate on the day. Figures are not financial advice and are not a guaranteed budget — verify with local sources and a live currency converter before making relocation or salary decisions. All calculations run entirely in your browser; nothing you enter is stored or transmitted.