Cost of Living · Updated June 2026

Salary purchasing power comparison calculator

Fix the salary, vary the city: this comparison shows how far one income stretches across 65+ markets – the cleanest way to evaluate remote-work geography or rank competing offers in different metros.

A $100,000 salary covers 1.7× a single budget in San Francisco but 3.6× in Columbus on 2026 numbers – before state taxes widen it further.

Cost of living calculator

I live in

Comparing to

Household

My gross salary (USD/year)

Equivalent salary

–

Budget A: –
Budget B: –
Rent share of pay A: –
Rent share of pay B: –

Line-by-line, monthly

Item	A	B	Δ

Composite 2026 index incl. centre rent (NYC = 100). Salary figures are gross – taxes not included; pair with the salary after tax calculator.

Key insights

Coverage ratio = monthly net income ÷ city budget.
One salary spans 1.1×–2.4× coverage across US metros.
State tax can reorder cost-based shortlists.
Above 2.0 coverage ≈ 50%+ achievable savings rate.
International moves: tax wedge > basket differences.

Local purchasing power: avg net salary ÷ single-person budget (2026)
City	COL index	Single budget /mo	Avg net salary /mo	Power ratio
New York City	100	$5,759	$7,200	1.25
San Francisco	93	$4,954	$8,200	1.66
Austin	63	$2,825	$6,000	2.12
Chicago	68	$3,322	$5,800	1.75
Miami	73	$3,718	$5,200	1.40
London	79	$3,980	$4,400	1.11
Berlin	56	$2,526	$3,300	1.31
Lisbon	50	$2,126	$1,700	0.80

Coverage ratio: the metric that ranks cities

Monthly net income ÷ city single-person budget = coverage ratio. Above 2.0: aggressive savings territory. 1.4–2.0: comfortable. Under 1.2: you're paying a lifestyle premium to be there.

The same salary commonly spans coverage from 1.1 to 2.4 across major US metros – geography is the largest single lever most earners control.

After-tax correction

Purchasing power is net-pay math. State tax spreads up to ~9 points of income between candidate cities (California metros vs no-tax states), which can reorder a shortlist built on costs alone.

International comparisons need the full treatment: tax wedges of 25–45% across Europe change coverage ratios more than the price baskets do.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Where does a $100k salary go furthest?

Among covered metros: midwest cities (Columbus, Indianapolis, Cleveland) with budgets near $2,286/month – coverage above 2× after tax. No-income-tax Sun Belt metros follow closely.

Where does it go least far?

NYC and San Francisco: single budgets of $5,759 and $4,954/month put coverage near 1.1–1.3× on $100k.

How should remote workers use this?

Lock your net salary, divide by candidate-city budgets, and rank. Then verify employer policy on location-based pay before assuming the salary survives the move.

Does the comparison include savings goals?

Coverage above 1.0 is surplus you can allocate; the tool doesn't prescribe a rate. A 2.0 ratio supports saving half of net income at constant lifestyle.

Are international cities comparable?

Yes – all budgets are USD-normalised. Just remember to swap in destination-country taxes for the net figure.

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