cost of living
/kɒst əv ˈlɪvɪŋ/
Very CommonHow much it actually costs to cover your basic expenses in a given place.
In casual use it often carries frustration or irony: 'the cost of living is killing me.' In economic contexts it's neutral. The emotional charge comes from context.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | got a raise but the cost of living ate it in two months | The income increase disappeared quickly into rising expenses. | x, 2024 |
| 02 | they want me back in the office but they're not adjusting for cost of living in the city | Remote salary doesn't cover the expenses of commuting to an expensive city. | reddit, 2023 |
| 03 | moved to a cheaper state specifically because the cost of living was going to break me | Relocated to escape unsustainable expenses in a high-cost area. | tiktok, 2024 |
| 04 | same job, same salary, different city, and suddenly the cost of living makes it feel like a pay cut | Equal pay goes much less far in a higher-cost location. | reddit, 2023 |
Use it when
- Comparing the expense of living in different places.
- Arguing that wages should reflect local expenses.
- Describing why money doesn't stretch.
- Framing personal financial stress as tied to where you live.
Do not use it when
- The expense is specifically a luxury or optional spending.
Variations and related forms
Cost of living vs affordability crisis
cost of living
Cost of living is a neutral measurement of what it costs to exist in a place.
VS
affordability-crisis
Affordability crisis is what you call it when cost of living has broken the relationship with wages.
Origin and context
Economic term in use since at least the early 20th century to measure regional and temporal price differences. Entered everyday casual conversation as financial stress became a dominant topic in social media discourse.
- First seen
- early-20th-century
- Confidence
- high
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/cost-of-livingUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0