Cost of Living in U.S. Cities
Browse the cost of living for U.S. cities, ranked by price index (100 = national average). Click any city for the full breakdown.
The cost of living varies widely across the United States. A salary that feels generous in one metro area can barely cover the basics in another, and the gap is driven mostly by housing. Our index puts every city on the same scale, where 100 is the national average, so you can see at a glance how far your money goes.
Each city below is ranked by its overall price level, drawn from official federal data rather than crowd-sourced guesses. Use the search box to jump straight to a city, or scroll the full list to compare where prices run highest and lowest.
Browse Cities by Cost of Living
How to Read the Cost of Living Index
The index is anchored to the national average of 100. A city at 115 is roughly 15% more expensive than the typical U.S. city, while a city at 90 is about 10% cheaper. Housing usually moves the number the most, which is why coastal metros tend to sit near the top and inland cities further down.
Cost of living is only half the picture, though. A pricey city often pays higher salaries, so it helps to weigh local income and the salary you'd actually need alongside the index. Open any city for that full breakdown, or head to the comparison tool to put two places side by side.