{"id":15198,"date":"2025-05-27T15:35:14","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T20:35:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/?p=15198"},"modified":"2026-02-09T15:57:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T21:57:15","slug":"cost-of-living-calculator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/cost-of-living-calculator\/","title":{"rendered":"Cost of Living Comparison: The Best and Worst U.S. Cities for Living-Wage Jobs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Inflation has been a high-pressure issue for Americans since the outbreak of COVID-19 \u2014 and despite being long out of lockdown, consumers continue to shop strategically as the cost of living rises.<\/p>\n<p>By August 2024, consumer prices remained <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/short-reads\/2024\/10\/07\/prices-are-up-in-all-us-metro-areas-but-some-much-more-than-others\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">22%<\/a> above pre-COVID levels, and the majority of Americans were \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/politics\/2024\/09\/09\/economic-ratings-and-concerns\/#top-economic-concerns-food-and-consumer-prices-housing-costs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">very concerned<\/a>\u201d about the price of food and goods. And inflation has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c3d57zm9m0po\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">continued to rise<\/a> well into 2025, leading American families to further tighten the purse strings.<\/p>\n<p>But how your home budget adds up can depend very much on the prices and wage levels where you live. To help you picture this, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/\">online lender NetCredit<\/a> created a cost of living calculator. We also compared local entry-level job wages to local costs of living using MIT\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/livingwage.mit.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Living Wage Calculator<\/a> and ranked states and cities based on the percentage of job ads offering salaries above the local living wage. Read on to see what we found.<\/p>\n<h2>Cost of Living Calculator<\/h2>\n<p>The &#8220;cost of living&#8221; is a calculation of how much money you need to cover your basic necessities. These essentials may include housing, food, child care, health care, reasonable leisure costs and other regular expenses.<\/p>\n<p>Many of these costs can vary considerably depending on where you live. So, NetCredit\u2019s cost of living calculator balances your own personal figures and location against regional cost variations to give an accurate idea of how your expenses might change were you to relocate to a specific metropolitan area. You can use these figures to see how much you might need to earn to thrive in a specific city or even to negotiate your salary with a new employer.<\/p>\n<div style=\"max-width:100%;margin:auto;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"neomam-iframe\" src=\"https:\/\/embed.neomam.com\/cost-of-living-calculator\/\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"display:block;margin:auto;max-width:100%;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>(Please note: In families with two adults, where one is not working, our calculations assume that the unemployed adult is providing childcare responsibilities at no additional cost.)<\/p>\n<h2>Report findings<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Minnesota<\/strong> is the best state to earn a living wage, with <strong>92.25%<\/strong> of entry-level jobs meeting the local living wage of <strong>$44,100<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>In <strong>Hawaii<\/strong>, just <strong>19.20%<\/strong> of entry-level jobs offer a living wage (<strong>$59,840<\/strong>).<\/li>\n<li>Every entry-level job (<strong>100%<\/strong>) in <strong>Bakersfield<\/strong>, Calif., meets the local living wage \u2014 the only major U.S. city where this is the case.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Nine out of ten entry-level jobs in Minnesota meet the cost of living<\/h2>\n<p>In Minnesota, some 92.25% of entry-level job vacancies come with a wage greater than $22.05\/hour or $44,100 pa \u2014 the amount MIT\u2019s Living Wage Calculator suggests locals need to cover the living costs. This makes Minnesota the best state for securing a job that satisfies the local living wage.<\/p>\n<p>In 2018, Minnesota state law changed to say that the <a href=\"https:\/\/minnesotareformer.com\/briefs\/minnesota-minimum-wage-to-rise-to-11-13-per-hour-a-26-increase-for-some\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">minimum wage<\/a> across the state should rise annually with the cost of living. While the present minimum wage \u2014 $10.57\/hour \u2014 remains far below MIT\u2019s suggested living wage, it is likely to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/articles\/the-ripple-effect-of-a-minimum-wage-increase-on-american-workers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">buoy the salaries<\/a> of those earning above the minimum wage.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/01_The-Best-States-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage.png\" alt=\"Infographic about the best states for entry-level jobs with a livable wage.\" width=\"2400\" height=\"2484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/01_The-Best-States-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage.png 2400w, https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/01_The-Best-States-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage-290x300.png 290w, https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/01_The-Best-States-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage-989x1024.png 989w, https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/01_The-Best-States-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage-768x795.png 768w, https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/01_The-Best-States-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage-1484x1536.png 1484w, https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/01_The-Best-States-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage-1979x2048.png 1979w, https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/01_The-Best-States-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage-150x155.png 150w, https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/01_The-Best-States-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage-640x662.png 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>At the other end of the scale, fewer than one in five (19.20%) new entry-level jobs in Hawaii satisfy the local cost of living. MIT puts the Hawaiian living wage at $29.92\/hour, or $59,840 pa, which is 3.6% higher than the next most expensive state, Massachusetts. However, in Massachusetts more than half (53.90%) of new entry-level jobs match this figure. Around <a href=\"https:\/\/www.auw.org\/about\/alice-initiative\/alice-reports\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">37% of households<\/a> in Hawaii have considered leaving the state due to the cost of living, according to community organization Aloha United Way.<\/p>\n<h2>Every new job in Bakersfield, Calif., meets local living wage<\/h2>\n<p>Next, we gathered data for the metropolitan areas of the 100 most populous cities to determine the best and worst cities for living wage jobs. In Bakersfield, Calif., every entry-level job listed on Indeed for our data period satisfied the local living wage of $22.67\/hour suggested by MIT\u2019s Living Wage Calculator.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15201\" src=\"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/02_The-Best-Cities-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage.png\" alt=\"Infographic about the best cities for entry-level jobs with a livable wage.\" width=\"2400\" height=\"2484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/02_The-Best-Cities-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage.png 2400w, https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/02_The-Best-Cities-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage-290x300.png 290w, https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/02_The-Best-Cities-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage-989x1024.png 989w, https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/02_The-Best-Cities-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage-768x795.png 768w, https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/02_The-Best-Cities-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage-1484x1536.png 1484w, https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/02_The-Best-Cities-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage-1979x2048.png 1979w, https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/02_The-Best-Cities-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage-150x155.png 150w, https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/02_The-Best-Cities-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage-640x662.png 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Bakersfield\u2019s 100% record is a decent leap above the next best cities, Fargo, N.D. (93.67%) and Toledo, Ohio (93.07%), despite these cities\u2019 relatively low living wage ($18.74 and $19.50 respectively). In Fargo, this suggested living wage is far above the actual minimum wage, which is set at the federal level of $7.25.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf there is even one employer out there in the state that is still paying minimum wage, I encourage them to do the math and see what they are living on per year, and let\u2019s do something,\u201d said North Dakota State Rep. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.valleynewslive.com\/2025\/03\/05\/fargo-democrat-wants-minimum-wage-increase-2026-ballot\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LaurieBeth Hager<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>At the other end of the scale, just 27.69% of new entry-level jobs in Honolulu meet the local living wage of $30.02\/hour. Honolulu is joined among the 20 worst cities by six Californian and five Arizonan cities.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15202\" src=\"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/03_The-Worst-Cities-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage.png\" alt=\"Infographic about the worst cities for entry-level jobs with a livable wage.\" width=\"2400\" height=\"2484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/03_The-Worst-Cities-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage.png 2400w, https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/03_The-Worst-Cities-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage-290x300.png 290w, https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/03_The-Worst-Cities-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage-989x1024.png 989w, https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/03_The-Worst-Cities-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage-768x795.png 768w, https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/03_The-Worst-Cities-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage-1484x1536.png 1484w, https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/03_The-Worst-Cities-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage-1979x2048.png 1979w, https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/03_The-Worst-Cities-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage-150x155.png 150w, https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/03_The-Worst-Cities-for-Entry-Level-Jobs-With-a-Livable-Wage-640x662.png 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Some 56.92% of California\u2019s entry-level jobs meet the statewide Living Wage of $28.72. However, California has the <a href=\"https:\/\/ssti.org\/blog\/useful-stats-income-inequality-across-states\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fourth widest<\/a> income disparity of any state. So even when the cost of living remains comparable from city to city \u2014 such as Chula Vista and San Diego \u2014 the jobs available may be pegged at a different level. In both cities, the living wage is $30.71, but in Chula Vista, just 43.47% of jobs meet this level compared to 46.45% in San Diego.<\/p>\n<h2>Four tips for balancing your home budget<\/h2>\n<p>You can take much of the worry and the waste out of managing your regular expenses by facing up to the issue and taking strategic measures to stay on track. Here are five ways to help steer your income through the current economy.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Make a budget<\/h3>\n<p>The first step in balancing your budget is to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/how-to-budget\/\">make a budget<\/a>. Try following the <a href=\"https:\/\/consumer.gov\/your-money\/making-budget\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">consumer.gov guidelines<\/a> and worksheet to track your expenses, plan ahead and then check back to see how your spending measures up against your intentions.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Prioritize your debts<\/h3>\n<p>Being short of money can soon get expensive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/pros-and-cons-of-debt-consolidation\/\">when debts add up<\/a>, bringing interest costs and late payment fees. Prioritize paying high-interest debts first, and always speak to your lender if you think you might miss a payment \u2014 they may be able to help you avoid incurring extra costs.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Downsize your home<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/how-much-house-can-i-afford\/\">Housing<\/a> eats up the lion\u2019s share of most people\u2019s monthly income through rent, mortgage payments and utility bills. If you can manage in a smaller home, you may enjoy lower rent or mortgage costs while also minimizing utility bills. An alternative, if you have a spare room, is to rent it out to a lodger or on Airbnb. Beware of scams and potentially dangerous situations when renting out your home.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Find a side hustle<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/how-to-earn-more-money\/\">Earning an extra $50<\/a> here and there on the side of your regular job can make all the difference at the end of the month. Check out our guide to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/best-side-hustles-to-make-money\/\">most profitable side hustles<\/a> on the internet, but be aware that making serious money this way often involves more time and commitment.<\/p>\n<h2>Options for emergency expenses.<\/h2>\n<p>When living expenses rise, it can be hard to stay balanced. Budgeting and careful planning can help, but emergencies can throw you off track. Here are a few ways you can handle surprise costs without derailing your budget.<\/p>\n<h3>Start with options that don\u2019t add debt.<\/h3>\n<p>Before turning to borrowing, consider other ways you can generate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/quick-loans\">quick cash<\/a>. Borrowing can be an option, but it can also put more strain on your budget further down the road. Here are a few alternative options to consider.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sell items you no longer need.<\/strong> You may be able to make extra money by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/what-can-i-sell-to-make-money\/\">selling items<\/a> you no longer need. Things like clothing, electronics, tools, collectibles, furniture and more can be sold at consignment shops or on online platforms that can connect you with buyers quickly. Even small sales can add up quickly to help you get the cash you need.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pick up extra work.<\/strong> Starting a side hustle or even just picking up one-time gigs can help you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/how-to-earn-more-money\/\">earn more money<\/a> and put a little extra room in your budget. You can find opportunities in your community or online.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dip into your emergency fund.<\/strong> If you\u2019ve <a href=\"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/how-to-build-emergency-fund\/\">built an emergency fund<\/a>, this would be the time to use it. Dipping into your savings can help you stay ahead even when surprises pop up. Just be sure to work on replenishing whatever savings you use.<\/p>\n<h3>Emergency borrowing options.<\/h3>\n<p>If other options aren\u2019t available, it may be time to consider borrowing. However, not all borrowing works the same, and some options may be better for your budget. Here are a few things to consider.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Borrowing from friends and family.<\/strong> While it can be intimidating to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/how-to-ask-family-for-money\/\">ask your family to borrow money<\/a>, it can be one of the more budget-friendly solutions. Your support circle is likely to give you the most flexibility when it comes to borrowing. Just be sure to be open and honest about how much you need and when you\u2019ll be able to pay it back. Be sure to stick to your plan and communicate often to avoid putting strain on your relationships.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Credit card.<\/strong> Credit cards can offer fast access to funds in emergencies, however they can have lower credit limits than other options. Carrying a balance can also cause you to rack up interest charges and increase your credit utilization, which can negatively impact your credit score.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Line of credit<\/strong>. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/line-of-credit\">line of credit<\/a> is another type of revolving credit similar to a credit card. You\u2019ll be given a credit limit you can borrow from, and the funds become available to borrow again as you repay. The biggest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/difference-between-a-personal-line-of-credit-and-credit-card\/\">difference between a credit card and line of credit<\/a> is that with a credit card, expenses are charged to your account. With a line of credit, the funds you draw are deposited into your account where they can be used as cash. Keep in mind that a line of credit balance can also increase your credit utilization rate, and you\u2019ll be charged interest on what you borrow.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Personal loan.<\/strong> A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/personal-loans\">personal loa<\/a>n provides an upfront lump sum of cash that can be used to cover emergency expenses. The loan is repaid over a set period of time in smaller installments. They can be useful for large, one-time expenses. Their fixed repayment schedules can make them easier to fit into your budget. You should be sure to read all of the terms and conditions before signing, as interest rates can vary by lender and may be high, especially for those with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/bad-credit-loans\">bad credit<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Final thoughts<\/h2>\n<p>It can be frustrating to rein in the spending just when you\u2019ve joined the world of work \u2014 but the many entry-level jobs fail to meet the cost of living requirements calculated by MIT\u2019s economists. Still, this reflects a broader trend of careful budget management across the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPurchase volumes have gone down across the industry as consumers across all income groups become more thoughtful about spending,\u201d as Max Axler, chief credit officer of consumer finance company Synchrony Financial, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/us-consumers-slow-spending-inflation-bites-synchrony-says-2025-03-25\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tactfully put it<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But with local wage levels and costs of living in flux, for some it also makes sense to look at where else in the country they might get a better deal for their day\u2019s work.<\/p>\n<h2>Methodology<\/h2>\n<p>We ranked states and cities based on the percentage of job ads that offered salaries above the local living wage.<\/p>\n<p>To define the living wage by location, we found the cost of living for one adult (without children) by metro area and state using MIT&#8217;s Living Wage Calculator: https:\/\/livingwage.mit.edu\/. We identified the 100 most populous cities in the U.S. (and the most populous by state) and then mapped the cities to their corresponding metro areas.<\/p>\n<p>We then used Indeed.com to find the number of new entry-level jobs in each location, using the filters to isolate only full-time, entry-level jobs posted in the past week. This allowed us to compare the percentage of entry-level jobs in each location that met the local living wage as defined above.<\/p>\n<p>This data analysis was completed in February 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Inflation has been a high-pressure issue for Americans since the outbreak of COVID-19 \u2014 and despite being long out of &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":15204,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[626],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15198","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-improving-finances"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","pp_post_mime_type":"publish","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Cost of Living Comparison: The Best and Worst U.S. Cities for Living-Wage Jobs - NetCredit Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Your home budget depends on the prices and wages of where you live. Try our cost of living calculator to see how your city compares.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/cost-of-living-calculator\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cost of Living Comparison: The Best and Worst U.S. Cities for Living-Wage Jobs - NetCredit Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Your home budget depends on the prices and wages of where you live. 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