State Cost of Living Calculator
Pick two states, enter your salary, and see the equivalent income, dollar difference, and per-category breakdown. Numbers reflect the BEA Regional Price Parities and C2ER Cost of Living Index.
Common comparisons
Equivalent salary in Texas
$64,346
to maintain $100,000 purchasing power
Salary surplus
-$35,654
you can earn this much less
Cost of living change
-35.7%
California index 142.2 → Texas index 91.5
Per-category change
How it works
The maths behind the calculator
Equivalent salary = (your salary x destination index) / origin index. So $100,000 in California (index 142.2) needs about $64,400 in Texas (index 91.5) to maintain the same purchasing power on average consumer goods.
Per-category bars show the percentage change in each sub-index between the two states. A +50% housing change means homes and rent are 50% more expensive in the destination.
Limitations
What this calculator doesn't tell you
- Taxes are excluded. The C2ER index ignores income, property, and sales tax. Layer in our tax burden page for the full picture.
- State averages hide city-level variation. NYC is far more expensive than Buffalo. SF is far more expensive than Fresno.
- No quality-of-life adjustment. This isn't "should you move?" - it's "what's the price gap?". See our moving guide for the full decision framework.