Cost of living calculator: compare your salary in any two states

See what your income is really worth in another state. This cost of living comparison adjusts any salary for local prices using the federal government's own state price index, then breaks down rent, bills, pay, and taxes.

Your annual income

You live in

Moving to

Your $100,000 in California

$90,334

Price level 110.7

The same income in Texas

$102,987

Price level 97.1

Your income goes +$12,653 further in Texas. That is +14.0% purchasing power relative to California.

Figures are in national-average dollars: what the income buys once each state's prices are accounted for (US = 100). Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, released February 19, 2026. How it's calculated

Salary needed in Texas

$87,715

to match $100,000 in California, before tax.

Have a job offer in Texas? Optional

We compare it with your current income after local prices.

Show the math

adjusted = income ÷ (RPP ÷ 100)

California: $100,000 ÷ (110.7 ÷ 100) = $90,334

Texas: $100,000 ÷ (97.1 ÷ 100) = $102,987

difference: $102,987 − $90,334 = +$12,653

Where the difference comes fromPrice components

Price level by component, 100 = US average. The Difference column compares the destination price level with the origin; higher means the destination is more expensive.

Regional price parity by component for the two states, with the percentage difference.
Component	California	Texas	Difference
All items	110.7	97.1	−12.3%
Housing rents	154.3	96.5	−37.5%
Goods	106.1	98.1	−7.5%
Utilities	158.9	87.5	−44.9%
Other services	102.6	97.1	−5.4%

BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 · rel. February 19, 2026 · Official data

Housing reality checkRent, homes & property tax

ACS median gross rent, home value, and real estate taxes paid — statewide context beyond the index.

California Median rent$2,036/mo Median home$734,700 Median property tax paid$5,124/yr

Texas Median rent$1,403/mo Median home$283,800 Median property tax paid$4,232/yr

US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates · ACS5 · 2024 · rel. December 2025 · Official data

Tax at a glanceIncome & sales tax

Hand-curated, tax year 2026 · verified 2026-07-20

Top marginal and average combined rates do not estimate a household's total tax liability.

Income and sales tax for the two states.
Tax	California	Texas
Income tax (top rate)	13.30%	None
Sales tax (combined avg)	8.99%	8.20%

Tax Foundation (income & sales) · Tax · 2026 · rel. tax year 2026 · Manually maintained · verified 2026-07-20

Official data Manually maintained 2 of 3 metrics sourced from official sources, 1 manually maintained. How every number is calculated →

What the comparison tells you

The results express annual income in national-average purchasing power using the BEA Regional Price Parities. They show how local prices change the value of a salary. They do not estimate take-home pay or the amount left after bills. For a move, follow the price comparison with local housing quotes and a household budget.

How it's calculated → Every source →

Where prices run above and below average

BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024. 100 = US average. Select a state for its full profile.

10%+ below (9)
5–10% below (13)
1.5–5% below (7)
Within 1.5% (7)
1.5–5% above (7)
5–10% above (6)
10%+ above (2)

AL 88.8 AK 102.4 AZ 100.7 AR 86.9 CA 110.7 CO 103.1 CT 103.6 DE 99.8 DC 109.9 FL 103.4 GA 96.3 HI 110.0 ID 95.5 IL 100.0 IN 93.3 IA 87.8 KS 90.1 KY 90.2 LA 88.2 ME 97.1 MD 105.0 MA 105.8 MI 96.2 MN 98.6 MS 87.0 MO 90.8 MT 94.6 NE 90.1 NV 100.0 NH 104.2 NJ 108.8 NM 92.2 NY 107.9 NC 94.3 ND 89.0 OH 92.8 OK 87.8 OR 103.4 PA 97.6 RI 102.3 SC 93.7 SD 88.6 TN 91.9 TX 97.1 UT 98.9 VT 98.0 VA 101.1 WA 107.0 WV 89.5 WI 94.1 WY 92.7

Highest price levels

Lowest price levels

View all states as a sortable table →

State profiles

Each profile covers prices, housing, everyday bills, pay for common jobs, taxes, population and migration, climate, and neighboring states.

Explore the data

Cost of living by state
Compare all 50 states and DC, including housing, goods, utilities, and services.
Metro cost of living
Narrow a statewide comparison to the metropolitan areas you are considering.
Salary by occupation and state
Compare wage distributions and pay adjusted for local prices.
State rankings
Every state ranked on prices, rent, home values, income, taxes, jobs, population growth and migration, energy bills, health care spending, and climate.
State tax reference
Check dated income and sales tax figures, then calculate the effect on your own household.

US medians from the Census ACS 5-year 2020–2024: rent $1,413/mo, home value $332,700, household income $80,734. The July 2026 unemployment rate is 4.1%.

Before you choose a state

Use these guides to turn a price comparison into a decision about your own pay, housing, and moving costs.

When does moving to a cheaper state pay off?
A worked budget shows the break-even month and why a cheaper destination can still leave you behind in year one.
How to compare job offers in different states
Account for benefits, household earnings, housing, and take-home pay alongside the salary.
How to build a relocation shortlist
Narrow the map using the criteria that matter to your household.
Why cheap rent can still be unaffordable
Read rent and local income together before treating a low monthly figure as a bargain.

All guides →Original data reports →

Cost of living: common questions

How do you compare the cost of living between two states?

Start with each state's overall price level — the BEA Regional Price Parity, where 100 is the US average. Divide an income by that price level (as a decimal) to convert it to national-average dollars. Comparing those adjusted figures tells you how far the same paycheck really goes in each place. Housing and taxes then refine the picture, since both vary widely from state to state.

What does "cost-of-living adjusted" income actually mean?

It means an income restated in national-average purchasing power. A $100,000 salary in a state with a price level of 110 is worth about $90,900 adjusted, because prices there run 10% above the national average. The same salary in a state at 87 is worth about $114,900. The adjusted number is what you can meaningfully compare across states.

Which US state has the lowest cost of living?

By the 2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, Arkansas has the lowest overall state price level at 86.9 (US = 100). That is 13.1% below the national average. A low statewide price level does not guarantee affordable housing relative to your income in a particular city.

Which state is the most expensive to live in?

California has the highest overall state price level in the 2024 BEA data, at 110.7 (US = 100), or 10.7% above the national average. Compare the housing component and your target metro as well: statewide averages can hide large local differences.

Do these comparisons include income and sales taxes?

The calculator does not calculate income, sales, or property tax liability — a state can be inexpensive to live in yet tax income heavily, or expensive yet levy no wage income tax. Headline tax facts are shown separately and should be followed by a household-specific calculation.