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

The word’s etymology reflects several diverse or seemingly unrelated topics under the same umbrella. As part of everyday discourse, you’ll find the term “omnibus” ...

The definition of property acquisition cost in real estate is the total recorded cost of a piece of real estate after reductions in price, incentives, closing costs and any other ...

To understand what a principal broker is, we have to go back up the family tree of real estate.You do understand all brokers can be real estate agents, but not every real estate agent can ...

Refers to state statues protecting the public against securities frauds of real estate companies. ...

Upon satisfaction of a mortgage or other debt payments, the deed releases property, or a portion of it, form the incumbrance. Often it is used in circumstances where a deed of trust is ...

Subsoil that is beneath the A horizon and above the C horizon of the earth. ...

Person selected by a judge or creditors of a bankrupt individual to handle matters including the sale of the bankrupt's assets, management of the funds from the sale of those assets, ...

Also called profit and loss statement. A financial statement depicting a business entity's operating performance and reports the components of net income, including sales of real estate, ...

To put it simply, acquisitions are a common occurrence in the business world, and they happen to small, medium, and large businesses alike. The definition of acquisition is a company ...

Popular Real Estate Questions