Paste it once — it updates itself. A clean badge with any city's real monthly essentials cost, refreshed automatically from live data. Free, no signup, works anywhere.
Only used to tag the link so you can see the clicks it sends you.
Preview — this is what appears, live
Paste this into your page
Plain HTML — works in any site, sidebar, or newsletter. No script, no signup. The number updates itself as prices change.
How it works
1
Pick a city
Choose any of our tracked cities — the badge shows its real monthly essentials cost.
2
Copy the HTML
One line of plain HTML. No script tag, no account, nothing to install.
3
Paste it anywhere
Sidebar, post, or newsletter. The number refreshes itself as our prices update — you never touch it again.
Frequently asked questions
Is it really free?
Yes. The badge is free to embed anywhere, forever. All we ask is that you keep the link to Meridian intact — that link is the attribution.
Does the number stay up to date?
Automatically. The image is generated on request from our live index (updated July 2026), so once you paste it, the cost figure refreshes itself whenever prices move. Nothing for you to maintain.
Will it slow my page down?
No. It's a single cached image wrapped in a link — no JavaScript, no tracking pixels, no external stylesheet. It loads lazily like any other image.
What counts as “core essentials”?
A city-center 1-bedroom rent, a monthly coworking membership, a monthly transit pass, and one casual restaurant meal a day. The same basket the whole Meridian index uses.
Want the full picture?
The badge is a snapshot — the full index ranks every city by what it really costs to live and work there.
