Cost-of-Living Salary Adjuster

A raise in a more expensive city can leave you worse off. A smaller salary in a lower-cost, no-income-tax state can leave you better off. This calculator finds the salary you'd need in a new place to keep the same standard of living, adjusting for cost of living and for state income taxes.

What this calculator does

Enter your current salary, cost-of-living index numbers for where you live and where you're moving (100 is the U.S. average), state and local income tax rates in each place, your filing status and, optionally, the salary you've been offered. It shows:

• the salary you'd need in the new city,
• the cost-of-living-only number, ignoring tax differences,
• your take-home pay now, and
• how your offer compares with what you'd need.

The formula in plain English

First, the calculator finds your take-home pay now, after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, and your current state tax.

Target take-home = current take-home × (new index ÷ current index).

Then it searches for the salary in the new city whose take-home, using the new state's tax rate, equals that target.

The simpler cost-of-living-only figure is salary × (new index ÷ current index). It's often too low, because it ignores taxes.

A worked example

Dr. Rivera earns $120,000 in a state with no income tax and a cost-of-living index of 100. She's considering a job in a city with an index of 125 and a 5% state income tax.

• Her current take-home is about $93,250.
• To keep the same lifestyle, she needs about $116,600 in take-home in the new city.
• The cost-of-living-only answer would be $150,000.
• After the new state tax and higher federal brackets, she actually needs about $166,200.

An offer of $150,000 would look like a 25% raise, but it would leave her about $16,000 a year short of where she is now.

Why it matters at each career stage

If you're: Student

Use this when ranking residency programs. Two programs with similar salaries can feel very different if one is in an expensive city.

If you're: Resident / fellow

When interviewing for your first attending job, compare offers across cities with this before you negotiate. A higher number may not be a better offer.

If you're: Employed

Thinking about relocating for a better job, family or lifestyle? Run this first, then compare full offers, including benefits, call and partnership track.

Things the index may miss

Your own housing choice. If you'll live somewhere different, like buying instead of renting, adjust the index or use your own housing costs.

Property and sales taxes. Some no-income-tax states make up for it with higher property or sales taxes.

Commuting. A cheaper home farther from work can cost more in time and transportation.

Childcare and schools. Costs and quality vary widely between cities.

Quality of life. Being near family, outdoor access and weather have real value even if they don't show up in a number.

Moving to a cheaper area

The calculator works in both directions. If you're moving from a high-cost city to a lower-cost one, it shows how much less you could earn and still live the same way. That can make a lower-paying job in a smaller city, or a rural position with loan repayment, look much better than its salary suggests.

Negotiating with these numbers

If an offer falls short, you can use this calculation to explain why you're asking for more. Many employers will adjust a salary, add a relocation package or sign-on bonus, or offer a housing stipend for a high-cost area. Be specific: "To match my current take-home in this market, I'd need about $X."

Next, compare full offers with the job offer comparison, check your new take-home pay, and see whether you should rent or buy in the new city.