cost of living

noun phrase

: the cost of purchasing those goods and services which are included in an accepted standard level of consumption

Examples of cost of living in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Making over $80,000 may sound like a promising salary for some, but the paycheck would struggle to keep up with New Yorkers’ cost of living. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2025 The election will be a test of whether Mamdani, and his focus on lowering the cost of living, can bring back nonwhite voters who swung to the right. Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025 Petrol price increases and the naira currency’s unstable exchange rate to the dollar had driven inflation beyond 30% last year, aggravating a cost of living crisis. Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025 Some furloughed employees at the Labor Department were brought back to work, in order to complete the September inflation report, which is a key ingredient used to calculate the cost of living adjustment that Social Security recipients will receive next year. The Npr Network, NPR, 30 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cost of living

Word History

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cost of living was in 1796

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Cite this Entry

“Cost of living.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cost%20of%20living. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.

Legal Definition

cost of living

cost of liv·​ing
: the cost of purchasing those goods and services which are included in an accepted standard level of consumption

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