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

Higher costs of living have steered shoppers toward groceries and household essentials, while bigger retailers like Walmart and Amazon have been able to keep prices lower.

From MarketWatch

By comparison, 62% mentioned the cost of living in their top three issues.

From BBC

Ardern's move has renewed a spotlight on New Zealand's battle to retain its best and brightest, as the country struggles with a lagging economy, a cost of living crisis and housing shortages.

From BBC

"It's just really another added pressure with the cost of living in general and now with the oil prices going up, just everything's become much more expensive," she said.

From BBC

But a continued high cost of living and longer phone life spans have both been consistent concerns for some Apple shareholders.

From Barron's