How We Calculate Our Cost of Living Data
SalaryExpert’s cost of living data is calculated using five main expenditure components:
housing, consumables, transportation, health care, and income & payroll taxes.
housing, consumables, transportation, health care, and income & payroll taxes.
Housing
Housing is usually the largest cost evaluated. SalaryExpert, powered by ERI, researches and collects cost of living data on utilities and city-level housing. Our Relocation Assessor also provides employers with the opportunity to customize cost of living assumptions, such as housing data by ownership/rent, family size, and more.
Consumables
To predict the average cost of consumable goods, SalaryExpert takes into consideration income level, family size, and average expenditure patterns. Consumables goods include grocery products, entertainment, clothing, and more.
Transportation
Our transportation calculations include a wide variety of factors. We start by taking the transportation price level index and compare it to local data on fuel costs, public transportation costs, and efficiency patterns of public transportation. We also research parking costs to ensure the most accurate reflection of data in different cities.
Health Care
When we report health care cost data, we consider several different factors. Some examples of those considerations are out-of-pocket costs and carrier zone rates.
Income & Payroll Taxes
Our cost of living data takes into consideration the impact of employee income taxes (both federal and state/provincial), along with other types of taxes and employee-paid rates. Our cost of living calculator accounts for a single earner. Our Relocation Assessor provides employers with tax information affected by earnings level, family size, mortgage payments, and tax residence.
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Browse Cost of Living
Find updated cost of living information using our cost of living index for some of our most popular cities, ZIP codes, states,
or countries. To compare cost of living between more than one location, see our cost of living comparison calculator.
or countries. To compare cost of living between more than one location, see our cost of living comparison calculator.
Cost of Living by City
Check out our most popular cost of living by city list and see how far your salary would take you in those cities based the expenditure components described above. Employers can make more detailed decisions about employee relocation with our Relocation Assessor.
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Cost of Living by ZIP Code
Browse our cost of living data by ZIP code for some of our most popular areas or utilize our search bar above to find locations that aren’t shown on our list. Access over 37,000 US ZIP codes and find out more precise cost of living calculations.
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Cost of Living by State
Compare cost of living by state to see what it would cost to move to another state, province, or international state. Employers can calculate both cost of labor and cost of living for relocations and expansions with our Geographic Assessor.
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Cost of Living by Country
Check out cost of living information for some of our most popular countries. Utilize our international cost of living index to analyze cost of living by country and make your international transition as easy as possible. You may also utilize the search tool above to find data for a specific country.
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Our Cost of Living Data
SalaryExpert strives to provide the most up-to-date and accurate cost
of living data to help you with relocation and expansion decisions.
of living data to help you with relocation and expansion decisions.
How We Research Cost of Living Data
SalaryExpert compiles and analyzes cost of living data on housing sales, gasoline, consumables, medical care premium costs, and effective income tax rates, all collected from authoritative online sources. Our data is audited by our in-house research team, making it more affordable than other cost of living sources.
How HR Representatives Use Cost of Living Data
HR representatives are often responsible for figuring out if a location is viable for relocating an employee or potential employee or expanding a business. HR professionals also use tools such as living wage calculators to benchmark pay around different regions and ensure total compensation remains competitive.
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