Human resources staff and executive recruiters in many corporations use our City Reports for cost of living and other information. You may wish to order City Reports to provide credible documentation of your case. Along with the reports, we will send a detailed description of each category and data collection background.
If I don't see a city listed, can I use a nearby city instead?
Yes, but use caution. Cost of living can vary widely from one community to the next, particularly with respect to housing. A real estate professional may be able to help you determine which nearby city on our list has comparable housing costs to the city in which you are interested.
Are taxes included in your calculations?
Taxes are not included, and neither are differences in government services. We have state tax tables for your reference.
What do I need to know about the international comparisons?
During the period in which data are gathered, the cost of living numbers are adjusted for the exchange rate that prevailed at that time. Therefore, if the exchange rate has moved a great deal since the data were updated, the cost of living comparison might be different.
Outside of North America, we do not include housing cost. In the U.S. and Canada, we have a reliable network of real estate agents supplying us with current housing information. We do not have a comparable network overseas.
What is your source for the data?
The calculator uses cost-of-living indexes constructed for the Center for Mobility Resources. We collect our own data from a variety of local, national, and government sources, including local real estate boards, Chambers of Commerce, economic development centers, and other sources.
Why does data from different sources give different results?
Unlike the U.S. Consumer Price Index, there is no official set of cost-of-living indexes for local communities. In addition to differences in data sources, cost-of-living measures can differ because of the weights placed on various items in the index. For example, if our index places more weight on housing than another index, then our index will show a higher relative cost of living in California than another index. Our weighting generally follows the same type of methodology as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
I put in 50,000 in income, and it said my new salary should be 62. What's the matter?
You need to leave out the comma in your income. Type in 50000.
I live in an apartment. Does the salary calculator still tell me about my cost of living?
Yes. Cities with high housing costs tend to be cities with high rental costs. Of course, no general-purpose calculator is going to precisely capture your personal lifestyle. However, renters generally find our results to be applicable to their situation.
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