Cost of Living Calculator: Compare Expenses Between Cities in 2025

You landed the job offer. The number on the page is bigger than you’ve ever seen before—a six-figure salary in a major metropolis like New York or London. You’re ready to pop the champagne and sign the papers.

But hold on.

What if I told you that a $100,000 salary in New York could make you feel poorer than earning $30,000 in a city like Toronto? Or that your seemingly modest salary in Mumbai actually gives you more spending power for daily luxuries than a “prestigious” job in Paris?

The number on your paycheck is only half the story. It’s a vanity metric. The real measure of your financial health isn’t how much you make, but how much you can do with what you make. It’s about purchasing power. This is the single most important, and most overlooked, factor when making any career or life decision that involves a new city.

This guide will shatter the myths you have about salary and expose the truth about the cost of living. And to prove it, we’ll use our Cost of Living Calculator to show you, with hard data, how your lifestyle can dramatically change from one city to another, even with the same job title.

Why “How Much Will I Make?” is the Wrong First Question

We’re conditioned to chase bigger numbers. A $150,000 salary sounds inherently better than $80,000. But this thinking is flawed because it ignores the most critical variable: context.

Think of it like this: would you rather have a treasure chest filled with a million gold coins on a deserted island with nothing to buy, or a wallet with a thousand dollars in the middle of a bustling marketplace filled with everything you could ever want or need?

Your salary is the treasure chest; the cost of living is the marketplace.

The right question isn’t, “How much will I make?” It’s, “What will my life look like with the money I make?“

This is where the concept of a Cost of Living Index comes in. This index, which powers our calculator, boils down hundreds of data points—the price of a gallon of milk, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment, the cost of a movie ticket, a monthly transit pass—into a single, comparable number. It gives us a standardized way to measure the “expensiveness” of a city.

Using a baseline city (often New York, set at 100), every other city gets a score. A city with an index of 120 is 20% more expensive than New York. A city with an index of 75 is 25% cheaper. It’s a simple, powerful tool for seeing beyond the salary and understanding your true purchasing power.

Introducing the Ultimate Cost of Living Calculator: Your Personal Economic Forecaster

Enough theory. Let’s put this into practice. Our Cost of Living Calculator is designed to be your personal economic forecaster, giving you a clear, no-nonsense comparison between two cities in seconds.

How It Works: A Simple, 3-Step Process

1. Select Your “From” City: In the first dropdown menu, choose the city you currently live in. This sets the baseline for the comparison. The currency symbol next to the salary input will automatically update.
2. Select Your “To” City: In the second dropdown, pick the city you’re considering moving to. This is the city whose cost of living you want to explore.
3. Enter Your Salary & Calculate: Type in your current monthly salary and hit the “Calculate” button.

Instantly, the calculator will generate a personalized result, telling you the equivalent salary you would need in the “To” city to maintain your current standard of living.

This isn’t just a currency conversion. It’s a lifestyle conversion. It adjusts your income based on the local prices of goods and services, giving you a far more accurate picture of your financial reality.

Decoding Your Results: A City-by-City Showdown

The results can be shocking. Let’s run a few scenarios to see how dramatically your world can change.

Scenario 1: The “Big City” Dream – Rangpur to New York

Imagine you’re a software developer in Rangpur, Bangladesh, earning a solid local salary of ৳50,000 per month. You get a job offer in New York City for what seems like an astronomical sum: $5,000 a month (or $60,000 a year). You’re ecstatic.

But let’s consult the calculator.

• From: Rangpur, Bangladesh
• To: New York, USA
• Current Salary: ৳50,000

The calculator reveals a staggering truth. To maintain the same standard of living in New York that ৳50,000 provides in Rangpur, you would need a monthly salary of approximately $3,289. Your $5,000 offer is certainly higher, but the cost of living in New York is over 550% more expensive than in Rangpur.

That ৳50,000 in Rangpur affords you a comfortable life. You can eat out, rent a decent apartment, and save money. In New York, a significant chunk of your $5,000 salary will be consumed by rent alone. Your daily coffee, your lunch, your subway pass—every single expense will be magnified. Your perceived wealth shrinks dramatically.

Scenario 2: The European Switch – London to Paris

Now, let’s consider a move between two major European hubs. You’re a marketing manager in London earning £4,000 a month. You’re offered a position in Paris.

• From: London, UK
• To: Paris, France
• Current Salary: £4,000

The calculator shows that to maintain your London lifestyle, you’d need about €4,534 in Paris. The cost of living is actually about 11% lower in Paris than in London. While items like groceries might be slightly more expensive in Paris, this is often offset by significantly lower rent and transportation costs. Your £4,000 salary, when converted and adjusted for purchasing power, goes further in the City of Light.

Scenario 3: The Tech Hub Trade-Off – Toronto to Singapore

You’re a data scientist in Toronto, making C$7,000 a month. You get a tempting offer from a tech giant in Singapore.

• From: Toronto, Canada
• To: Singapore, Singapore
• Current Salary: C$7,000

The result? You’d need approximately S$8,973 in Singapore to live as you do in Toronto. Singapore’s cost of living is about 28% higher. The primary driver here is housing. While your salary might be higher, the cost of renting an apartment in Singapore is notoriously steep and could easily negate your pay raise if you’re not careful.

The Hidden Factors: What a Calculator Can’t Tell You

Our calculator is an incredibly powerful financial tool, but a fulfilling life isn’t just about money. The numbers provide the “what,” but you need to investigate the “why” and “how.”

Quality of Life

A lower cost of living might mean more disposable income, but what can you spend it on? Consider factors like:

• Green Spaces: Does the city have parks and recreational areas?
• Healthcare: What is the quality and accessibility of the healthcare system?
• Safety: What are the crime rates? Do you feel safe walking around at night?
• Work-Life Balance: Is the local culture one that values personal time, or is it a 24/7 hustle? A higher salary might not be worth it if you have no time to enjoy it.

Cultural Fit

Do you thrive in a fast-paced, anonymous metropolis, or do you prefer a smaller community where you know your neighbors? A city’s energy and social fabric are crucial. Consider the language, the food, the social norms, and the overall pace of life.

Career Trajectory

The job you’re taking is just one step. What does the broader career landscape look like in your new city? Are there ample opportunities for growth in your field? Is it a hub for your industry? Moving for a single job is risky; moving to a city with a vibrant ecosystem for your career is a strategic investment in your future.

Actionable Steps: How to Use This Information to Your Advantage

Knowledge is only potential power. Action is power. Here’s how to use this information to make smarter decisions.

For the Job Seeker & Negotiator

1. Benchmark Before You Talk Numbers: Before you even get to the salary negotiation stage, use the calculator to determine your baseline. Know the equivalent salary you need before the recruiter asks for your expectations.
2. Negotiate with Data, Not Feelings: Instead of saying, “I’d like more,” you can say, “Based on my research, the cost of living in [New City] is 30% higher than where I currently live. To maintain my standard of living, I would need a salary in the range of [Equivalent Salary].” This transforms your request from an ask into a logical, data-driven point.
3. Look Beyond the Base Salary: Ask about bonuses, stock options, and, crucially, relocation packages. A company that understands the cost of living differences may offer a generous relocation stipend to ease the transition.

For the Person Planning a Move

1. Create a “Target City” Budget: Don’t just look at the final equivalent salary. Manually create a mock budget. Use online tools to look up average rent prices in specific neighborhoods, the cost of a monthly transit pass, and grocery prices. Get granular.
2. The “Three-Month” Rule: Plan to have at least three months of living expenses saved up before you move. This is your emergency fund for unexpected costs, security deposits, and the initial shock of new prices.
3. Talk to Locals: The best data comes from people on the ground. Use forums like Reddit, expat groups on Facebook, or your professional network to connect with people living in your target city. Ask them about their real monthly expenses.

Your financial future is too important to leave to guesswork. Stop chasing big, empty numbers and start focusing on what truly matters: building a life where your money works for you, not the other way around.

Use the calculator. Do the research. Take control.