Definition of "Cost of living"

The definition of cost of living is the amount of money you need to have in order to sustain a certain lifestyle. The cost of living refers to the amount of money you spend on housing, food, gas, and other items. It is an easy way to measure a person's standard of living and cost of living estimates allow for comparison between locations.

Cost of living and lifestyle

The cost of living is an index. A numerical value that shows you if your expenses are high or low. This makes it possible to compare the cost of living between cities, states or countries. The cost of living is highly determined by the area you live in, it’s economy, the job market, and others.

If a city has a high cost of living we consider it an expensive city. On the other end, a city with a low cost of living is a more affordable city. This classification is possible at a larger scale, therefore, counties, states, and nations have a cost of living associated with them.

The standard of living is also impacted by a person’s income. A high income in a city with a low cost of living offers that person a comfortable lifestyle. On the other hand, expensive cities with a high cost of living, means those common items, as well as payments, are going to be higher. That would require a higher salary if you want to sustain the standard of living in an expensive city.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

Provision at the end of a document, such as a will, wherein the witnesses sign that the instrument has been executed before them. This may be useful involving transfers of real estate. ...

An idiomatic expression indicating the desire of an individual to understand new surroundings and all of its nuances including its quality and character. The derivation of the expression ...

Also called biannual; twice a year. An example is when lease payments are due January 1 and July 1. ...

Generation X, also known as Gen X , is the generational extract of Americans that are sandwiched between the Baby Boomer Generation and the Millennial generation (also called ...

In a mortgage, a provision that allows part of the security to be released from any further lien obligations upon the borrower's making a given payment. For example, a person may get a ...

Method of eliminating the spaces between the solid fragments in fresh cement or mortar during the mixing process. This is done by a combination of constantly mixing, turning, centrifuging, ...

Same as term soil porosity: Extent to which soil has cavities or pores, thereby allowing water to pass through. ...

Also called triple net lease. The lessee pays not only a fixed rental charge but also expenses on the tented property, including maintenance. ...

Multiple Listing is the kind of Listing that is registered by a broker or a real estate agent at the Multiple Listing System (MLS). If a house is directly sold by an owner – the ...

Popular Real Estate Questions