Ask someone what a city costs and they will tell you the rent. It is the biggest line for most households, so it is a fair start. It is also the number everybody already knows, which makes it the least useful one to keep repeating.
The lines that decide it#
Once housing is set, three other lines tend to separate one city from another for a household:
- Childcare and schooling. Depending on the place, this can be public and nearly free, or a second rent.
- Health cover. Some countries fund care through taxes; others expect premiums, deductibles or both. Compare what you pay in a normal year and in a bad one.
- Getting around. A car, a transit pass or a walkable neighbourhood changes the budget and the day.
Price the household, not the person#
A single professional and a family of four can live in the same city and face very different costs. In the cost-of-living explorer, set the household first, then the city. Every figure there is labeled as demonstration data, so use it to see how the pieces fit rather than to budget to the dollar.
A short worksheet#
For each city you are considering, write down a typical month for:
- Housing, including utilities and the deposit you pay up front
- Food at home and eating out
- Childcare or school costs
- Health cover and expected out-of-pocket costs
- Transport
- One regular cost that matters to you, such as flights home or a gym
Add them up, then subtract the total from your take-home pay. The remainder is the number to compare, not the salary.