Looking for Cost of living info around Stuttgart

Hello Expat community,

I am pursuing options to find a US Contracting job in Stuttgart. I am extremely excited about making this move. I spent 3 years there with the Army and absolutely loved it.

I have some questions that I hope someone can answer or help answer for me. I am planning on making the move with my wife, 16 y/o daughter and probably 19 y/o son. What would a reasonable salary (US Dollars, although i can convert if you give me Euros) need to be in order to maintain that type of house hold? What can I expect to pay for utilities per month? What can i expect to pay to rent a 3 bedroom house/apt? Impact of fuel prices?

Are there hidden living expenses that I'm not considering?

Also if there are US contractors on this site if I can get an idea of what is offered by some of the companies with regards to COLA and Housing Allotment that would help me negotiate properly the correct base salary.

Ok, thats a lot of questions and I so look forward to any help I can get. (Expect follow on questions as I try to figure this out LOL)

Thanks and I hope to be part of this community in the very near future.

Scottt