Where do I get the cost index ratio?

Numbeo, Expatistan, and NerdWallet publish cost of living indices. A ratio of 1.0 means equal cost. If City B is listed as 25% more expensive than City A, enter 1.25. You can also set individual ratios per category (e.g. housing 1.40, food 1.15) for more accuracy.

Does this use live data?

No. The tool uses the numbers you enter. It does not connect to any database or API. You supply the index ratios from a source you trust, and the tool applies the math.

What categories should I include?

At minimum: housing (rent/mortgage), groceries, dining out, transport (car or transit), utilities, health insurance, and childcare if applicable. These typically account for 80–90% of a household budget.

How is the adjusted cost calculated?

Each expense in City A is multiplied by its category ratio (or the global ratio if no category ratio is set) to produce the City B estimate. The total is the sum of all adjusted categories.

Can I export or save my comparison?

Use your browser's print function (Ctrl+P / Cmd+P) and choose "Save as PDF" to keep a copy. The page renders cleanly for printing.

Cost of Living Comparison

Name: Cost of Living Comparison
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Enter your current monthly expenses and a cost index ratio for a second city to see how your budget would change if you moved.

Cities

Current city (City A)

Destination city (City B)

Global cost index ratio (applied to all categories unless overridden)

1.0 = same cost. 1.25 = City B is 25% more expensive. 0.80 = City B is 20% cheaper. Source: Numbeo, Expatistan, or your own research.

Monthly Expenses

Summary

Enter your current monthly expenses and a cost index ratio for a second city to see how your budget would change if you moved.

How it works

Enter a name for each city you want to compare.
Add expense categories (housing, food, transport, etc.) with your current monthly amounts.
Set a cost index ratio for the second city — for example, 1.30 means 30% more expensive, 0.85 means 15% cheaper.
Each category can have its own ratio, or use the global ratio to scale all categories at once.
The summary shows total monthly spend in both cities and the annual difference.

Use cases

Estimate how a salary offer in a new city compares to your current purchasing power.
Decide between two job offers in different metros.
Plan a relocation budget before committing to a move.
Compare retirement destination costs against your current city.
Show clients or employees the cost difference when negotiating remote work compensation.
Quickly check if a lower-cost city offsets a pay cut.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-07-22 · Reviewed by Nham Vu