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Compare two cities for a household

compare_cities
Read-onlyIdempotent

Get a detailed head-to-head comparison of two cities: take-home pay, full cost breakdown, equivalent target salary, non-cash lifestyle deltas, and a quality score on five weighted dimensions for your household.

Instructions

Compare two cities for one household: take-home pay, full cost breakdown, the equivalent target salary needed to match source net cash, non-cash lifestyle deltas (vacation, parental leave, healthcare), and a 0-100 quality score on five weighted dimensions. Use this for a head-to-head between two named cities; for a single city call get_city_summary, and to rank many cities call rank_cities. Read-only, no side effects; returns a text summary plus structured JSON. RSU income is NOT a parameter; RSU is treated as source-only because grants typically do not follow you across employers.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
source_cityYesCity slug for the user's current city. Use list_cities to discover valid slugs (e.g. 'nyc', 'seattle', 'tokyo').
target_cityYesCity slug for the destination city.
gross_salaryYesUser's annual gross salary in the SOURCE city's local currency (e.g. USD for Seattle, NOK for Oslo).
householdNoFamily structure: working-age partner and dependent children. Omit for a single person with no kids.
livingNoHousing and spending assumptions. Omit to use defaults: rent, 2 bedrooms, typical spending.
advancedNoOptional fine-tuning: retirement contribution, age bracket, trips home, transit mode, and inbound tax regime. Omit to use defaults.
score_weightsNoOverride the composite-score weights. Defaults: financial 30, healthcare 20, vacation 15, childcare 15, safety_net 20.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
sourceYes
targetYes
equivalenceYes
non_cash_deltasYes
quality_scoreYes
metaYes
Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true and destructiveHint=false. Description reinforces 'Read-only, no side effects' and adds RSU treatment detail, providing context beyond annotations without contradiction.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Two paragraphs, front-loaded with key outputs, every sentence adds value. No wasted words; structure is logical and easy to scan.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given the tool's complexity (7 parameters, nested objects) and that output schema exists, the description covers purpose, usage, limitations, and output format completely. No gaps.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so schema already documents parameters. The description adds value by clarifying that RSU income is not a parameter, explaining the rationale. This goes beyond the baseline of 3.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states it compares two cities for a household, listing specific outputs like take-home pay, cost breakdown, target salary, lifestyle deltas, and a quality score. It distinguishes from siblings by naming get_city_summary and rank_cities.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Explicitly says 'Use this for a head-to-head between two named cities' and contrasts with alternatives for single city or ranking many cities. Also clarifies RSU is not a parameter because it's source-only.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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