If you make $X in one state, what would you need to make in another to maintain the same lifestyle?
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How this works
Uses MERIC (Missouri Economic Research and Information Center) Cost-of-Living index where the US average = 100. A score of 120 means 20% more expensive than the US average.
Formula: destination_salary = current_salary × (COL_dst / COL_src)
So if California (COL 138) earner makes $100K and moves to Tennessee (COL 89), they need $100K × (89 / 138) = $64,500 to maintain the same buying power.
What this captures (and doesn’t)
Captures: housing, groceries, utilities, transport, healthcare, miscellaneous.
Doesn’t capture: state income tax (use the net-pay calculator separately), local property tax variation within a state, lifestyle differences (a beach town in FL costs more than rural FL).