生活成本vs. Standard of Living: Why the Difference Matters

If college graduation is around the corner, you've probably been exploring your employment options. It's likely that one of your biggest concerns at the moment is compensation. After all, you have student loans to repay. But only focusing on the starting salary of each job opportunity may cause you to overlook two factors that could influence the value of those earnings: 生活费用 and 生活水平.

Here's what you should know about these often confusing but critical terms.

韦氏大字典 

• 的定义 生活费用:
  the cost of purchasing those goods and services which are included in an accepted standard level of consumption
   
• 的定义 生活水平:
  1: the necessities, 舒适, and luxuries enjoyed or aspired to by an individual or group
  2: 最基本的必需品, 舒适, or luxuries held essential to maintaining a person or group in customary or proper status or circumstances

Cost of living varies widely across the country.

生活费用计算器 通常比较住房, 食物, 运输, 娱乐, and health insurance costs between two cities. When the money you earn exceeds the 生活费用 in a particular location, it often means you can experience a higher 生活水平. 

例如, an individual residing in Denver, CO挣50美元,000 in pre-tax household income would need to make $65,603 to experience a comparable 生活水平 in Los Angeles, CA.

A 生活水平 is often tied to earnings, geographic location, and lifestyle.

The measurement is not concise, as people define levels of wealth and comfort differently. But this doesn't mean you can't determine whether a particular region is a good fit for your income. 

If the pay at a potential place of employment would leave you with plenty of surplus income, you can use those funds to enjoy a particular lifestyle, such as affording an upscale living space. It should then be of no surprise that regions that typically have a high 生活水平 also have a high 生活费用.

Your career choice will influence your 生活水平.

Simply because one area of the country pays workers more than in other locations, that isn't reason alone to accept a position. Cities with a higher average salary may pay more to attract workers in high-demand sectors. But that doesn't mean all local industries will benefit from this salary bump. 

例如, a city might pay $10,000 more than the national average salary across industries. 然而, 因为生活成本高, it still may not be enough to meet basic needs for someone who lives in that city but works in an occupation with low demand.

Living comfortably means different things to different people.

即便如此, you should evaluate your income and lifestyle spending to assess whether your wages will be enough to keep you in control of your finances or whether your finances will control you. 

一般, you're considered to be living comfortably when you have enough to cover your basic expenses and still have funds left over to achieve your financial 目标s, such as saving for a down payment on a home.

Spending less is a smart financial move, but it's unlikely to dramatically affect your 生活费用.

Trimming expenses often helps plug spending leaks, but you can't out-save a high 生活费用. If your earnings fall well below the 生活费用 in a certain area, a position with a comparable salary in a different geographic location might offer the best solution.

Your income becomes less critical when you consider its value based on where you live, 你如何定义工作与生活的平衡, 你的职业生涯阶段. 随着你事业的发展, you'll likely earn more and be able to afford to live in a more expensive city while still experiencing the lifestyle of your dreams. But don't forget that wherever you are on your career journey, pay close attention to the 生活费用 to ensure your wages will match your expected 生活水平.