Cost of Living Calculator — Compare Two Cities & Salary Equivalent
Moving from Austin to San Francisco on an $85,000 salary requires roughly $145,000 to maintain the same standard of living — a 70% higher composite index driven mainly by housing. This calculator compares 20 major U.S. metros using housing, tax, and income multipliers to show equivalent salary and percent difference.
Salary Equivalent
Equivalent Salary
$136,840
Austin, TX → San Francisco, CA
Methodology and limitations
Last reviewed:
Methodology
Compares two U.S. metros using simplified housing, tax, and income indices to estimate equivalent salary and weighted cost differences.
Limitations
Index-based comparison only. Does not model individual housing choices, commute, childcare, insurance, or neighborhood-level price differences.
Official sources
How Cost of Living Comparison Works
Moving from Austin to San Francisco on an $85,000 salary requires roughly $145,000 to maintain the same standard of living — a 70% higher composite index driven mainly by housing. This calculator compares 20 major U.S. metros using housing, tax, and income multipliers to show equivalent salary and percent difference.
Method used
This calculator builds a weighted composite index for each city from housing, tax, and income indices (100 = US average), then scales your current salary by the ratio of destination to origin index to estimate equivalent purchasing power.
Composite = housing × weight + tax × weight + income × weight; equivalent salary = current salary × (to index ÷ from index)
Practical example
Example: $85,000 in Austin moving to San Francisco with default 50/20/30 weights might require roughly $125,000–$135,000 to match composite purchasing power given higher housing and income indices.
- $85,000 current salary
- From Austin, TX to San Francisco, CA
- Weights: 50% housing, 20% tax, 30% income
The output shows composite indices for both cities, equivalent salary, dollar difference, percent change, and which city is cheaper on the composite measure.
Assumptions
- City indices are simplified metro-level estimates vs national average (100).
- Weights default to 50% housing, 20% tax, 30% income but are adjustable.
- Results compare salary equivalence, not job offer totals or benefits.
What this includes
- 20 major US metros, composite index, equivalent salary, percent difference, and adjustable category weights.
What this excludes
- Neighborhood-level costs, childcare, healthcare premiums, commute costs, state credits, and international comparisons.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How is cost of living compared between cities?
This calculator blends three indices — housing, tax burden, and income levels — weighted 50%, 20%, and 30% respectively. Each city score is relative to a national average of 100. A city with a composite index of 150 costs roughly 50% more than one at 100 for the same lifestyle mix.
What salary do I need to move to a more expensive city?
Equivalent salary equals your current salary multiplied by the ratio of destination to origin composite indices. If you earn $85,000 in Austin (index 108) and move to San Francisco (index 185), you need about $145,000 for comparable purchasing power. Enter your salary and cities to calculate.
Which U.S. cities are included?
This calculator covers 20 major metros: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, Austin, Jacksonville, San Francisco, Columbus, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Seattle, Denver, Boston, Nashville, and Miami. Indices are simplified planning estimates.
Does this include state income tax differences?
Tax index captures a simplified combined state and local tax burden relative to the national average. It does not replace a full tax projection for your income bracket. Use this for relocation planning; consult a tax advisor for exact withholding and filing impacts.
How accurate is a cost of living comparison?
Indices are broad metro averages — your actual costs depend on neighborhood, housing type, commute, family size, and spending habits. Housing dominates most comparisons. Treat results as directional planning estimates and validate with local rent, mortgage, and salary data for your specific situation.