The 3 Most Expensive States to Live in (And the 3 Cheapest)

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Where can you afford to live? Well, that depends on the cost of living where you live. Some places have higher housing costs, higher utility costs, higher taxes, and in general, higher costs of items and services. On the other hand, other places are cheaper. While this can vary greatly based on exactly where you are, what kind of life you lead and the choices you make, the cost of living very often depends on the state where you live.

The World Population Review calculates the cost of living index for every state in America. Cost of living refers to the amount needed to cover basic expenses, such as food, shelter, transportation, and healthcare.

Here are the states that they determined are overall the most expensive places to live and then the three they determined are the cheapest. You can visit their website for the full breakdown of each metric and how they determined the rankings of each factor.

Hawaii

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  • Cost of Living Index: 193.3
  • Groceries: 152.9
  • Housing: 315
  • Utilities: 164.2
  • Transportation: 133.7
  • Health: 115.3
  • Miscellaneous: 126.7

Hawaii might be tempting with its stunning beaches and gorgeous landscape and scenery. A real paradise but it is also the most expensive place to live in the US.  The cost of living here is almost twice the national average.

New York

NEW YORK CITY - DEC 01 Times Square ,is a busy tourist intersection of neon art and commerce and is an iconic street of New York City and America, December 01th, 2013 in Manhattan, New York City.
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  • Cost of Living Index: 148.2
  • Groceries: 118.4
  • Housing: 230.1
  • Utilities: 99.8
  • Transportation: 108.7
  • Health: 102.5
  • Miscellaneous: 113.7

NY is home to the city that never sleeps- perhaps they are too worried about the bills? The cost of living in New York is the second-highest in the country.

California

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  • Cost of Living Index: 142.2
  • Groceries: 113.7
  • Housing: 201.9
  • Utilities: 124.3
  • Transportation: 131.7
  • Health: 110.7
  • Miscellaneous: 110.3

California has gorgeous beaches, stunning mountain ranges, and an overall chilled vibe which is at odds with its place as the third most expensive state to live in the USA.

Alabama

Welcome to Sweet Home Alabama Road Sign along Interstate 10 in Robertsdale, Alabama USA, near the State Border with Florida.
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  • Cost of Living Index: 87.9
  • Groceries: 98.2
  • Housing: 70.1
  • Utilities: 100.7
  • Transportation: 92.7
  • Health: 91.2
  • Miscellaneous: 94.3

Sweet Home Alabama is certainly sweet when you see how cheap the cost of living is down south. Alabama has a cost of living index of 87.9, the third-lowest in the country.

Kansas

Kansas welcomes you - welcome roadside sign with a popular Latin phrase ad astra per aspera (through hardships to the stars), driving and travel concept.
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  • Cost of Living Index: 86.5
  • Groceries: 91.7
  • Housing: 72.6
  • Utilities: 100.2
  • Transportation: 97.3
  • Health: 100.4
  • Miscellaneous: 88.4

Kansas doesn’t have the most interesting reputation known most of all as the place where The Wizard of Oz is based but maybe this should interest you: the cost of living in Kansas is the second lowest in the USA.

Mississippi

Drone view looking downstream on the Mississippi River near Grand Gulf, Mississippi. Low water on the river exposed a sandbar on the right descending bank. Lowest water in 30 years.
Image Credit: Justin Wilkens/Shutterstock.
  • Cost of Living Index: 83.3
  • Groceries: 92.2
  • Housing: 66.3
  • Utilities: 90.4
  • Transportation: 86.7
  • Health: 94.7
  • Miscellaneous: 90.9

Want to move to Mississippi? You might once find out that Mississippi has the lowest cost of living in the U.S.

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