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

Inflation remains stubbornly high and the economic outlook subdued, frustrating efforts to repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2025

But critics question whether Earle-Sears’s message is meeting the moment when the cost of living and jobs are dominating voters’ concerns. —Julia Manchester, The Hill, 28 Sep. 2025

Miami’s rising cost of living is pushing many working residents to the brink of homelessness, despite full-time employment. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2025

Americans with higher incomes continue to power the US economy while low- and middle-income households remain strained by the higher cost of living. —Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025

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