Web calculator compares cost of living

Those thinking of accepting a job for more money in a different state should take a look at The Center for Mobility Resources Web site.

The site provides information for those wishing to relocate, including a calculator that helps job hunters see how much they would have to earn in a different city to maintain their current standard of living.

If you type an annual salary and enter codes for their current and prospective cities into the calculator, it then figures what you would have to earn in the new city to equal the salary amount you entered.

The service could save some a costly mistake. If you're a Birmingham, Alabama, accountant currently making $40,000 per year, a salary increase to $50,000 might sound like it would be worth the move to San Jose, California. It isn't. The calculator reveals that you will need an income of $60,256 in San Jose to match an equivalent income of $ 40,000 in Birmingham.

CRR maintains cost-of-living indexes for more than 450 cities in the United States. In addition, the company provides other relocation services online, including information on moving, temporary housing, and mortgage rates.