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

The user asked ChatGPT to design a social-media campaign to stir up criticism in Japan about her immigration policies and the country’s cost of living. — Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026

Perhaps that’s the real shift that the cost of living crisis is demanding from us. — Meehika Barua, Time, 6 July 2026

Bringing swim lessons to school removes barriers for working families — already stretched thin by the rising cost of living — and ensures a child’s ability to stay safe in the water isn’t determined by a family’s schedule or bank account. — Veronica Almedina, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026

That limit will be adjusted for cost of living starting in 2027. — Jeanne Sahadi, CNN Money, 4 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cost of living

• unforgiving
• almsgiving
• caregiving
• forgiving
• misgiving
• nonliving
• reliving
• thanksgiving
• giving
• sieving

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