Free Tool

Cost of Living Comparison Calculator

Compare expenses between 50+ cities worldwide and find out what your salary is really worth. Built for remote workers exploring geo-arbitrage.

Select Two Cities to Compare

How to Use This Cost of Living Calculator

This free cost of living comparison tool helps remote workers, digital nomads, and anyone considering relocation understand how far their money will go in a new city. All data is processed client-side — no account required.

How it works: Select your current city and a target city, enter your annual salary, and instantly see a side-by-side comparison across five key spending categories: rent, groceries, restaurants, transport, and utilities. The tool calculates what salary you'd need in the target city to maintain the same standard of living.

For remote workers: If you earn a salary benchmarked to New York or San Francisco but live in Lisbon or Medellín, you can quantify your geo-arbitrage advantage — the difference between what you earn and what you spend.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the cost of living index calculated?

Our indices are based on aggregated data from multiple public sources including Numbeo, Expatistan, and government statistics. New York City is used as the baseline (index = 100). A city with an index of 70 means it is approximately 30% cheaper than NYC for that category.

How do I calculate my salary equivalent in another city?

Enter your current salary and select your current city and target city. The tool uses the overall cost of living index ratio to calculate what salary in the target city would give you equivalent purchasing power.

Is this tool useful for remote workers?

Absolutely. Remote workers can use this tool to evaluate geo-arbitrage opportunities — earning a salary benchmarked to a high-cost city while living in a lower-cost location, effectively increasing their purchasing power.

How often is the data updated?

Our cost of living indices are reviewed and updated periodically based on the latest available data from public sources. The indices represent relative costs and are best used for general comparison rather than exact budgeting.

What categories are compared?

We compare five major expense categories: Rent (apartment costs), Groceries (food and household items), Restaurants (dining out), Transport (public transit and fuel), and Utilities (electricity, water, internet). Each category is indexed relative to New York City.