City Insights
Compare cities by cost of living, taxes, climate, commute, and quality of life. Make informed decisions about where to live based on data, not just gut feeling.
Relocating is a big decision. These tools help you compare cities objectively—not just on cost of living, but on taxes, commute, climate, and factors that matter to your lifestyle. We show our data sources and assumptions so you can judge the quality of comparisons for yourself. You might also find our Calculate take-home pay by state, Estimate moving costs, Decide whether to rent or buy, Calculate commute costs and Plan your budget in a new city helpful for related calculations.
City Insights Guide
Last updated: February 21, 2026
Last updated: February 21, 2026
What you can do in City Insights
- •Compare cost of living between any two cities—housing, groceries, transport, utilities
- •Calculate what salary you need in a new city to maintain your current lifestyle
- •See how state and local taxes differ and impact your take-home pay
- •Compare rent-to-income ratios to understand housing affordability
- •Evaluate commute times and costs in potential new cities
- •Score cities on climate comfort, family friendliness, and healthcare access
- •Get personalized city recommendations based on your priorities
- •Understand home price-to-income ratios for first-time buyers
Accuracy, assumptions, and sources
- •Cost of living data comes from public sources and regional databases—it represents typical costs, not every neighborhood.
- •Tax comparisons use current federal, state, and local rates. Local taxes vary by county and city.
- •Housing costs reflect median values. Your actual rent or purchase price depends on specific neighborhoods and timing.
- •Quality of life scores combine multiple data points. What matters most varies by person.
- •Commute estimates use average conditions. Rush hour in major metros is significantly worse.
- •Data is updated periodically but may lag real-time market changes by weeks or months.
Pick the right calculator fast
- If you're comparing two cities head-to-head→Cost of Living Estimator
- If you want city recommendations for your priorities→Where Should I Move?
- If you want to compare tax burdens→City Tax Burden Comparison
- If you're checking rent affordability→Rent-to-Income Pressure by City
- If you want to compare home prices to income→Home Price to Income Ratio
- If you care about commute time→Commute Burden Index
- If you have kids and care about schools→City Family Friendliness Score
- If you're sensitive to weather→Climate & Weather Comfort Index
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Comparing raw salaries without adjusting for cost of living—$80K in Austin isn't the same as $80K in NYC.
- •Ignoring state and local income taxes when comparing cities—they can differ by 10%+ of income.
- •Focusing only on housing costs while ignoring transport, groceries, and healthcare.
- •Using national averages when city-specific data matters (healthcare costs vary wildly).
- •Not factoring in commute time as a real cost—2 hours daily × 250 workdays = 500 hours/year.
- •Assuming all neighborhoods in a city have similar costs—they don't.
- •Using outdated data in rapidly changing markets (check our 'last updated' notes).
- •Making decisions based on a single metric instead of weighing multiple factors.
Editorial policy
- ✓All calculators provide educational estimates, not professional financial, tax, or legal advice.
- ✓Results depend on the assumptions you enter—double-check your inputs.
- ✓We don't sell or share personal data. Calculations run in your browser.
- ✓Formulas and key assumptions are disclosed in each tool.
- ✓Found an error? Email us at hello@everydaybudd.com and we'll fix it.
- ✓Tools are updated when tax laws, rates, or formulas change.
Top Picks
All City Insights Tools
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate is the cost of living comparison?
Our Cost of Living Calculator uses data from government sources, housing indices, and verified regional databases. It factors housing, taxes, utilities, groceries, transportation, and healthcare for accurate city-to-city comparisons.
What salary do I need to maintain my lifestyle in a new city?
Use our calculator to compare your current city with your target city. It calculates the equivalent salary needed to maintain the same quality of life, accounting for differences in housing costs, taxes, and living expenses.
Should I move to a state with no income tax?
Nine states have no income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming. However, they may have higher property taxes, sales taxes, or cost of living. Use our calculator to compare total costs.
How do I compare cities fairly when salaries differ?
Don't just compare raw salaries. A $100K salary in Austin stretches further than $120K in San Francisco. Our tools show purchasing power by factoring in housing, taxes, and local costs—giving you the real picture.
Why do some city comparison tools show different numbers?
Different data sources, update frequencies, and methodologies cause variations. We cite our sources and assumptions. For major decisions, cross-reference multiple tools and verify key costs (rent, taxes) with current local listings.
How much does local income tax impact take-home pay?
Cities like NYC (3.078-3.876%), Philadelphia (3.71%), and San Francisco (0.38%) add significant local income tax. This can reduce take-home pay by $2,000-$8,000+ annually. Compare cities using our Cost of Living and Salary calculators.