Should I compare salary or total compensation?

Always compare total compensation: salary + benefits (health insurance, 401k match, PTO, stock options). Benefits can add 20–40% to true value.

How do I account for cost of living differences?

Use cost-of-living calculators or databases (Numbeo, MIT Living Wage). A $100k salary in San Francisco ≠ $100k in a lower-cost area.

What about remote vs office work?

Remote roles often pay less but save commute time and cost. Calculate true hourly rate including commute hours and expenses.

Financial

Salary Cost-of-Living Comparison

Salary Comparison — Cost of Living

Your Salary ($)

Your City CoL Index

New City CoL Index (NYC=187, Austin=95, etc.)

Cost-of-living adjustments make salaries in different cities comparable. A $100,000 salary in Manhattan and $70,000 in Memphis may provide identical purchasing power if Manhattan's COL index is ~143 vs Memphis's ~100.

Symbol	Name	Unit	Description
S	Annual Salary	$	—
H	Hours Worked	hours/year	—
r	Hourly Rate	$/hour	—

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Pro Tip

Housing is usually the biggest COL driver. Check site-specific housing cost data for more accurate comparisons than general COL indexes.

References

›NerdWallet Cost of Living Calculator

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Salary Cost-of-Living Comparison

Salary Comparison — Cost of Living

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