Cost of Living Raise Calculator
See the salary you need to keep the same standard of living when the cost of living changes — whether from local price rises or a move to a pricier city.
How it works
Equivalent salary = current salary × (new index ÷ current index) · Raise % = (new ÷ current − 1) × 100
A cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) keeps your real standard of living flat when prices rise or when you move somewhere more expensive. The maths is a simple ratio: scale your salary by the ratio of the two cost-of-living indexes. Cost-of-living indexes are published for cities and for time periods, usually anchored so the baseline equals 100. Because rent, food and transport rarely rise at the same pace, an index is an average — your personal number depends on how you actually spend.
Worked example
You earn $60,000 where the cost-of-living index is 100, and you are moving to a city at 118. The equivalent salary is 60,000 × (118 ÷ 100) = $70,800, so you need a $10,800 (18%) raise to live the same way you do now.
Frequently asked questions
Where do cost-of-living indexes come from?
Government statistics agencies and relocation services publish them for cities and regions, usually with a baseline of 100. You can also use year-over-year CPI values as the two indexes to adjust for inflation over time.
Is a cost-of-living raise the same as a merit raise?
No. A cost-of-living raise only preserves your existing buying power against rising prices. A merit raise is extra, on top of that, to reward performance or added responsibility.
Why is my personal cost of living different from the index?
Indexes blend housing, food, transport and more into one average. If you rent a large home in a city where housing drove the increase, your personal cost rose more than the headline index; if you own outright, it may have risen less.
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Educational estimate, not financial advice.