If you're thinking of moving somewhere, you cannot ignore differences in cost of living. A salary of $50,000 per year could mean luxury in a rural town but on the verge of poverty in a grand city with a housing shortage. Cost of living tells you how far each of your dollars will take you.

But cost of living comparisons can be tough. You can try looking up statistics online, but they can be hard to find -- and the ones you do find are usually out-of-date (at best) or wildly inaccurate (at worst). Plus, these days cost of living can change on a dime.

Which is where Numbeo's Cost of Living Database comes into play.

The database is crowdsourced, meaning users from around the globe can contribute information about how much it costs to live in their part of the world. Using all of this user-contributed data, Numbeo calculates a Cost of Living Index for every major city. (Numbeo actually tracks all kinds of living condition data beyond this as well, such as traffic, crime, and pollution.)

To get started, just type your city into the search box. Here you'll see all of the cost of living stats for that city, but you can also type in another city to get a direct comparison between the two. This is a fantastic way to prepare yourself before moving, especially as a way to compare effective salaries.

Be sure to check out these other useful sites for finding great places to live, and if you aren't yet living in a house of your own, you should be aware of these common apartment and condo rental scams.

Website -- Numbeo's Cost of Living Database

Thinking of moving somewhere? How does it compare to where you are now? Did you find this site helpful? Let us know in the comments below!

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