How does your salary stack up in the city next door?

When considering a move to a new city, homeowners have to consider a host of factors: Will my family like our new metropolis? Are the schools good? Are there enough parks and recreational facilities? Is the crime rate low?

And, of course, how far will my salary stretch in my new city?

Fortunately, CNNMoney.com has a tool that lets you take your current salary and location and compare it with another. It’s a fascinating tool to explore, and you can check it out here.

The tool is simple: Plug in your current salary and location. Then plug in the city you are considering moving, too. You might be surprised at what comes up. For instance, when I plugged in a salary of $100,000 in Chicago and a new destination city of St. Cloud, Minn., here’s what came up: Someone making $100,000 in Chicago was comparable to someone earning slightly more than $88,622 in St. Cloud. That’s because housing costs, on average, slightly more than 28 percent less in St. Cloud than it does in Chicago. Groceries cost about 9 percent less, utilites more than 5 percent less and transportation more than 9.7 percent less.

Of course, the salaries can go the other way, too. That same person making $100,000 in Chicago would have to make $150,000 in San Francisco — one of the most expensive cities in the country — to enjoy the same standard of living. That’s because everything is more expensive in San Francisco: Housing is about 114 percent higher, groceries about 30 percent, utilities more than 18 percent and healthcare more than 14 percent.

The salary-comparison tool is a fun one to use even if you’re not planning to move anytime soon. And if you’re dead set against ever moving again, the tool may provide you with just one more reason to stay put.