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

“The cost of living remains at the forefront of consumers’ minds; for the third straight month, over half of consumers spontaneously mentioned that high prices are weighing down their personal finances,” Hsu said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026

The gift comes as Americans struggle with the medical debt and rising cost of living.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 25, 2026

American parenthood is plagued with structural problems: A lack of affordable childcare, an increasingly rising standard for “good” parenting, and a cost of living that necessitates more than one income per family.

From Salon • Jun. 24, 2026

He also said the pandemic followed by the cost of living crisis was likely to have had a bigger impact on younger age groups.

From BBC • Jun. 24, 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