Compare the real value of your income across states
Your $100,000 in California is worth
$90,334
at national prices · RPP 110.7BEA RPP SARPPSource: BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 vintage · released February 2026 · Official API
The same income in Texas is worth
$102,987
at national prices · RPP 97.1BEA RPP SARPPSource: BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 vintage · released February 2026 · Official API
Your income goes +$12,653 further in Texas (+14.0% purchasing power).
Show the math
Where the difference comes from
Price level by component, 100 = US average. Higher means more expensive.
| 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 2026 · Official API
Housing reality check
Typical rent and home price in each state — tangible context beyond the index.
US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates · ACS5 · 2024 · rel. December 2025 · Official API
Tax at a glance
Hand-curated, tax year 2026 · verified 2026-07-20
| 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
Why this is different
Most cost-of-living tools are built on a licensed index, so they can't show you their math. This one runs entirely on free, official US government data — primarily the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities. That means every figure here links to its source, states its vintage, and exposes its formula. You can reproduce any number with a calculator.
Explore the data
For reference, the US medians: rent $1,413/mo, home value $332,700, household income $80,734, unemployment 4.2%.
Understanding the cost of living, state by state
The cost of living is simply how much money you need to maintain a given standard of living in a particular place. Across the United States it varies enormously: the same groceries, rent, and services that feel affordable in one state can consume a much larger share of a paycheck in another. A salary alone can't tell you which of two states leaves you better off — you have to account for local prices first.
This tool does that with an official measure called the Regional Price Parity, published every year by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. It expresses each state's price level as a percentage of the national average, so a figure of 100 means prices match the country as a whole, above 100 means more expensive, and below 100 means cheaper. Dividing an income by that price level converts it into national-average purchasing power — the number that lets you compare two states fairly. It's the same method economists use, and because the underlying data is free and public, every result here can be reproduced from the source.
Cost of living is more than a single index, though. Housing is the biggest source of variation between states, so median rent and home values are shown alongside the price level. State income and sales taxes shape take-home pay and are compared separately. And wages differ by occupation and location, which is why the same job can pay far more in real terms in one state than another. Taken together, these are the numbers that actually decide where a move, a job offer, or a retirement plan pencils out.
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 price level at 86.9, followed closely by Mississippi, Iowa, and Oklahoma. These states sit roughly 12–13% below the national average, driven mostly by low housing costs.
Which state is the most expensive to live in?
Hawaii and California are the most expensive by overall price level (both around 110–111 on the 2024 BEA index), with the District of Columbia and New Jersey close behind. Housing is the largest driver — rents in the priciest states run well above the national average.
Do these comparisons include income and sales taxes?
The price-level adjustment does not include taxes — a state can be inexpensive to live in yet tax income heavily, or expensive yet levy no income tax at all. Because taxes matter to take-home pay, they are shown separately for every state and can be weighed alongside the cost-of-living figure.