Does this account for state income tax?

Partially. Tax differences are reflected in the housing and goods baseline only indirectly. For a full after-tax view, run both salaries through the Take-Home Pay calculator separately.

What is the difference between this and the Salary Comparison calculator?

Comparison shows two offers side by side with their nominal and real values. This calculator answers a different question: what target salary do you need to match a current one across regions.

Is this calculator regional or for individual cities?

Either. Enter the COL index of any geography (state, metro, custom). Our published indices are state-level for now; metro-level rolls out in a future release.

Calculator · INTERACTIVE

Cost-of-living adjustment calculator

What salary do you need in another location to keep the same purchasing power?

100% client-side. We never send your inputs to a server.

Current salary

Currently living in

State

Cost of living index

Auto-filled from BEA RPP 2023 for Texas. Editable.

Moving to

State

Cost of living index

Auto-filled from BEA RPP 2023 for California. Editable.

Salary needed for equal purchasing power

$100,598

Difference vs current

+$15,598 (18.4%)

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Cost-of-living indices are auto-filled from BEA Regional Price Parities 2023. Override either field for metro-level precision (NYC, San Francisco, suburban areas) or to use a different source like C2ER or Numbeo.

Methodology

How it works

We multiply your current salary by the ratio of the two cost-of-living indices: target_salary = current × (target_COL ÷ current_COL).

Both indices use a baseline of 100 (US national average). A target COL of 145 means you would need 45% more nominal salary to maintain the same purchasing power.

State-level cost-of-living indices come from BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the canonical US government measure of price differences across states. Pick a state from the dropdown to auto-fill the index. For metro-level precision (NYC vs upstate NY, San Francisco vs rural California), pick "Custom" and enter a value from C2ER, Numbeo, or your employer's relocation tool.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does this account for state income tax?: Partially. Tax differences are reflected in the housing and goods baseline only indirectly. For a full after-tax view, run both salaries through the Take-Home Pay calculator separately.
What is the difference between this and the Salary Comparison calculator?: Comparison shows two offers side by side with their nominal and real values. This calculator answers a different question: what target salary do you need to match a current one across regions.
Is this calculator regional or for individual cities?: Either. Enter the COL index of any geography (state, metro, custom). Our published indices are state-level for now; metro-level rolls out in a future release.

Disclaimer

This calculator is for general educational purposes only. It is not financial, tax, or career advice. Estimates use simplified models that may not reflect every situation. Consult a licensed professional before making compensation, tax, or career decisions.