What is an equivalent salary?

The pay you'd need in another city to keep the same purchasing power you have now — a lifestyle comparison, not a raw number.

What matters most in the comparison?

Housing usually dominates the difference between two cities, followed by food, transport, healthcare and utilities.

Should I also compare take-home?

Yes — taxes differ by state and country and change the real comparison as much as cost of living.

Equivalent Salary Calculator: What You'd Need in Another City

A number that looks like a raise can be a pay cut once cost of living is in the picture. Here's how to compare cities honestly.

Why a bigger number can be smaller

A salary only means something relative to what it costs to live where you earn it. $80,000 in an expensive city can buy less than $55,000 in a cheaper one. An equivalent-salary comparison converts your current pay into the amount you'd need elsewhere to keep the same purchasing power.

Key point: compare lifestyles, not headline salaries. The right question is "what would I need in City B to live like I do in City A?" — not "which number is bigger?"

What goes into it

A good comparison weighs the big cost-of-living categories — housing above all, then food, transport, healthcare and utilities — using published statistics for each city. Housing usually dominates the difference between two cities, so it carries the most weight.

Use it for offers and moves

When you weigh a job offer in another city or country, run the equivalent number first. A 20% raise to move to a city that's 35% more expensive is a real pay cut in lifestyle terms — and easy to miss without the comparison.

Remember: also check take-home, not just gross — taxes differ by state and country, and they change the real comparison as much as cost of living does.

Find your equivalent salary → Free tool: the salary you'd need in another city to keep your lifestyle, from official statistics.

Equivalent salary: what you'd need in another city