The trouble with this kind of calculator is that it fails to take into account the global opportunities that the higher end of the talent distribution has. Salaries to retain highly skilled people in cheap locations don't have as large a discount; not only does the salary need to compete against other employers in the area, it also needs to compete against moving to a better market.

Top end salaries will still be discounted, naturally, because the costs in high cost areas are real. But not every scales like housing.