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

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Etymology

Origin of cost of living

First recorded in 1895–1900

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cost of living

They were elected principally on two issues: lowering the cost of living and reining in corruption.

From Slate ● Nov. 7, 2026

“AI worries, however, were dwarfed by cost of living concerns, which continue to be at the forefront of consumers’ minds across the population.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

But he asserted that he was already working with legislative counterparts on how to provide critical services and lower the cost of living.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said earlier this week he hoped the midterm results meant there was an "opportunity now to unite around the issue that is affecting us all, and that's the cost of living".

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 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

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