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 new political leadership will also face pressure to address everyday concerns, including jobs, wages and the cost of living. — Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026

At Mississippi State University, some students rely on Bully’s Pantry while learning to budget and manage their cost of living, said Hali Hollman, who volunteered at the food pantry from 2023 to 2025 before graduating with the class of 2026. — ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026

In other words, Yemen and the Houthis may seem like yet another distant problem to Americans, many of whom are understandably fatigued by foreign interventions, and struggling with a spiraling cost of living. — Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026

Hilton has made a slew of campaign promises to lower the cost of living, including $3 gasoline, no taxes on income below $150,000 and lowering energy bills by slashing climate-friendly regulations imposed by Democrats. — Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 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