cost of living

American  

noun

1. the average cost of food, clothing, and other necessary or usual goods and services paid by a person, family, etc., or considered as a standard by the members of a group.

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cost of living British  

noun

1. 1. the basic cost of the food, clothing, shelter, and fuel necessary to maintain life, esp at a standard regarded as basic or minimal

   2. ( as modifier )

      the cost-of-living index

2. the average expenditure of a person or family in a given period

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cost of living Cultural  

1. The average cost of the basic necessities of life, including food, shelter, and clothing.

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Discover More

In the United States, the cost of living is monitored in the consumer price index (formerly called the cost-of-living index), published monthly by the federal government.

Other Word Forms

• cost-of-living
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of cost of living

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cost of living

As for the economy, the polls say what you see with your eyes, that the cost of living is the public’s leading concern.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

In a survey by Dr Nicola Brink - Guernsey's Medical Officer of Health and Director of Public Health - housing, cost of living and transport were big headaches for the future.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Forget the Consumer Price Index: The cost of a burrito is the best way to judge how much the cost of living actually is.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

Taxi driver, Nursultan Akhmadov from Kyrgyzstan, said the petrol woes added to the rising cost of living in Russia.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

“We want you to organize a committee against the high cost of living ...” “The high cost of living?”

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright