Most cost-of-living calculators are general, not accounting for basic factors such as healthcare and taxes. This calculator aims to account for these missing features to help you make the best decision for your life.
Where are you moving?
Your profile
Total household gross income:
Your lifestyle
Fetching real price data…
How this works
Monthly budget estimate
Costs are built from real price data via TravelTables (crowd-sourced prices for ~10,000 cities). Housing picks a 1BR or 3BR depending on household size and whether you're renting or buying. Food scales with a grocery basket plus dining frequency. Transport uses gas cost and a car overhead estimate, or a transit pass. A household multiplier scales food, utilities, and misc for larger households.
Salary equivalence
Your after-tax take-home is calculated from your gross income and the origin city's tax rules. That take-home is scaled by the cost ratio (destination ÷ origin monthly budget). The result is then grossed-up through the destination's tax brackets to find the required gross salary.
Tax calculations
US: 2025 federal brackets + standard deduction, FICA (Social Security + Medicare), and state income tax where applicable. International: income tax brackets with standard deductions/credits and social contribution rates for ~23 countries. Each earner's income is taxed independently and totals are combined. Rates are approximate — consult a tax professional for exact figures.
Exchange rates
Live rates from open.er-api.com (updated daily). Used to convert salaries between currencies and display destination amounts in local currency.
Childcare
Uses the "Preschool, Full Day, Private, Monthly" price from TravelTables, multiplied by the number of children you mark as needing childcare. Children past childcare age still affect housing size and food/misc scaling.
Healthcare
US residents pay ~$280/month out-of-pocket (premiums + copays) that isn't captured in other budget lines. International residents' healthcare is typically covered through social contributions already included in the tax calculation, so $0 is added for them — making comparisons apples-to-apples.
Limitations
Prices are crowdsourced averages and may lag real conditions. Tax calculations are simplified estimates. Local taxes (city, county) are excluded. Results are a starting point — not financial advice.