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.

---

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

---

cost of living Cultural  

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

---

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

The cost of living fell in June for the first time in six years thanks to plunging gas prices, but the U.S. battle against high inflation is far from over.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

A key adviser to Andy Burnham has said he will be focused on "dealing with the cost of living in the short term" if, as expected, he becomes prime minister.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

Enlisting a financial planner and estate-planning attorney can help you project your cost of living based on different scenarios, housing options and other variables.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 12, 2026

The fall in prices comes after one Jersey politician proposed reducing fuel duty for three months to help islanders with the cost of living.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 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