This is not another “how long is a piece of string” question but rather a “how do I adjust the calculator” one.

The ENZ cost of living calculator is a very good approach to doing the basic sums as it allows for adjusting individual items of the weekly spend from “frugal” to “good living”.

But it is based on the living costs of a family of two adults and two school-aged children. Any such calculator takes into consideration certain economies of scale. Therefore, being a three-person family (e.g. 2 adults plus 1 child) wouldn’t work out to three quarters, being a two-person family (single parent or couple) to half, and being single to a quarter of the weekly cost of living. The cost of living is related to the number of people but not proportionally.

Is there any similar calculator that’s based on a single person’s cost of living? Or a realistic formula how to adjust this calculator? I would be interested to know how much one person needs as a minimum on a modest, not frugal, lifestyle, excluding the cost of housing.