United States
How far your salary goes across the United States
A pay rise that comes with a move can leave you worse off if the new city eats the difference in rent and groceries. This tool puts every state and the largest metro areas on one price scale, then turns your salary into the figure you would need somewhere else to live the same way. The numbers come from the federal price data that underpins regional inflation and real-income reporting.
To live the same in California you need
$79,804
to match $70,000 in Texas
Price level, US = 100
The equivalent salary keeps your purchasing power constant: it is your pay scaled by the ratio of the two price levels. Regional Price Parities measure what a fixed basket of goods and services costs locally. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024.
What the price level tells you
Two salaries that look identical on paper buy very different lives depending on where they land. The price level captures that in a single number against the national average of 100. The widest gaps sit in housing, which is why a high-cost coastal metro can clear 115 while a low-cost southern state sits in the high 80s. When you compare an offer in one place with your pay in another, the index gap is the part a straight salary comparison misses.
How to use the comparison
- Pick states or metro areas, then set the place you live now and the place you are considering.
- Enter your current salary. The tool scales it by the ratio of the two price levels.
- The headline figure is the salary you would need in the new location to hold your standard of living steady.
- The ranked list shows where the same pay stretches furthest, from the cheapest places to the dearest.
Frequently asked questions
How is the cost of living measured here?
Each state and metro carries a Regional Price Parity, an index the US Bureau of Economic Analysis publishes with the national average set at 100. A reading of 110 means prices run about 10 percent above the US average, and 90 means about 10 percent below. It covers goods, rents and other services weighted by how households actually spend.
How do you work out the salary I would need elsewhere?
Your pay is scaled by the ratio of the two price levels. Moving somewhere 20 percent dearer means you need roughly 20 percent more to stand still, while a cheaper destination lets the same salary stretch further. It holds your buying power constant rather than your headline number.
Why can two cities in the same state differ so much?
Housing is the biggest swing factor and it is intensely local. A coastal metro and an inland one in the same state can sit ten or more index points apart, which is why the metro view often tells a sharper story than the state average.
Does a lower cost of living mean I will be better off?
Often, but not always. A cheaper area can come with lower typical wages, so the move that helps depends on whether your own pay holds up. Run your actual salary through both locations to see the real gap rather than relying on the index alone.
Cost of living by state
Open any state for its price level, national rank, income and sales tax, and the salary you would need there to match your pay elsewhere.
Data source
Price levels are Regional Price Parities from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities (SARPP, MARPP), 2024, which are in the public domain. They are estimates for general comparison and not financial advice. Your own costs depend on housing choice, household size and lifestyle.