Cost of Living Comparison 2026

Compare any 2 US cities. See how much salary you need to maintain your purchasing power. Make smarter decisions about offers in different markets.

Quick Answer

CVCraft's cost-of-living calculator uses BEA Regional Price Parity indexes (100 = US national average). Enter your salary + current city + target city; the calculator returns the equivalent salary needed to maintain purchasing power, real-terms purchasing power, median home price comparison, and a verdict (upgrade / neutral / pay cut). Covers all 50 major US metros.

Compare cities

Current salary

From city

To city

Verdict

Big upgrade in purchasing power

Austin costs 51% less. Even if you take a salary cut to $73,156, your buying power matches your current $150,000 in San Francisco.

San Francisco, CA

$150,000

Cost-of-living index244

Median home price$1,300,000

Real purchasing power$61,475

Austin, TX — Equivalent

$73,156

Cost-of-living index119

Median home price$510,000 (-61%)

CoL difference-51%

Cost-of-living indexes from BEA Regional Price Parities. 100 = US national average.

Cost of Living FAQ

What does cost of living mean?

Cost of living measures how much it costs to maintain a standard of living in a city — housing, food, transportation, healthcare, taxes, utilities. The BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) index uses 100 = US national average. San Francisco at 244 means buying the same goods costs 144% more than the average US city.

Is $100K a good salary in San Francisco?

Marginal. SF's cost-of-living index is 244 — your $100K has the real purchasing power of $41K nationally. HUD classifies up to $104K as "low income" for a single person in SF. Most $100K earners need roommates or live in cheaper East Bay cities (Oakland, Hayward).

How is cost of living calculated?

BEA RPP weights ~40,000 prices across categories: housing (40% of weight), goods (35%), services (15%), utilities/transport (10%). Indexes update yearly. Numbeo provides crowdsourced equivalents updated more frequently but less rigorously.

What's the cheapest US city to live in?

Among major metros: Memphis (85), Wichita (86), Tulsa (86), El Paso (86), Oklahoma City (87), Cleveland (88). Most have ~30% lower cost of living than the national average — but salaries are also typically 10-15% lower.

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