A cost of living calculator worksheet compares what life costs in two places. Enter your monthly costs - housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare and more - for your current city and the city you are considering. The worksheet totals both columns and shows the difference, so the comparison reflects your real spending, not generic averages.
Compare two cities
| Monthly cost category | Current city ($) | New city ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Total monthly | $0 | $0 |
Verdict
Based entirely on the numbers you entered. Research real rents, taxes and prices for both cities before deciding.
How do you compare cost of living between two cities?
List your monthly spending by category for each city, total both columns, and compare. If your current city totals $3,100 and the new one totals $3,570, the move costs $470 more per month. This worksheet does exactly that with your numbers.
Generic indexes hide your situation: a remote worker and a commuter face very different costs in the same city. Your own figures beat any database.
What costs should I include in a cost-of-living comparison?
Housing first (it is usually the biggest gap), then food, transportation, utilities, healthcare, childcare, taxes and lifestyle spending. Do not forget one-time moving costs either.
Taxes matter: income, property and sales tax differences between states can outweigh small rent gaps.
Why does this calculator not look up cities automatically?
Because databases use averages that may not match you. A cost index cannot know your rent, your commute or your childcare needs: your own researched numbers give a more honest comparison.
Use the worksheet with figures from rental listings, utility estimates and tax tables for both cities.
Frequently asked questions
Does this use a cost-of-living database?
No, deliberately. It is a worksheet: you enter monthly costs for each city and it compares your totals. No city data is looked up or invented.
What is the "bigger cost gap" figure?
The single category with the largest dollar difference between the two cities, so you can see what drives the gap (often housing).
Should I use rent or mortgage for housing?
Use whichever applies: your current rent vs the new mortgage payment (or new rent). Include taxes and insurance if comparing ownership costs.
How accurate is the annual difference?
It is your monthly difference times 12: exact arithmetic on your inputs. The accuracy depends entirely on how realistic your monthly figures are.
Is my financial data uploaded anywhere?
No. The worksheet runs entirely in your browser. Your costs and city names never leave your device.