| Rank | Metro area | All items | Housing (rents) | Goods | Utilities | $100 buys |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 115.6 | 194.7 | 108.5 | 172.6 | $86.50 |
| 2 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 114.2 | 155.6 | 103.6 | 97.2 | $87.60 |
| 3 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 113.6 | 170.4 | 106.6 | 158.6 | $88.05 |
| 4 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 112.6 | 148.6 | 110.3 | 127.0 | $88.84 |
| 5 | Napa, CA | 112.6 | 197.4 | 105.2 | 156.5 | $88.85 |
| 6 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 111.9 | 179.3 | 108.0 | 174.2 | $89.38 |
| 7 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 111.1 | 151.3 | 104.0 | 92.8 | $89.98 |
| 8 | Urban Honolulu, HI | 111.0 | 135.5 | 111.6 | 187.3 | $90.12 |
| 9 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 110.5 | 171.1 | 105.2 | 152.9 | $90.47 |
| 10 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 110.4 | 211.9 | 105.2 | 156.7 | $90.56 |
| 11 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 109.9 | 164.3 | 105.2 | 152.7 | $91.00 |
| 12 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | 109.4 | 115.8 | 110.3 | 136.8 | $91.39 |
| 13 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | 109.4 | 119.2 | 111.6 | 190.6 | $91.41 |
| 14 | Salinas, CA | 109.0 | 145.7 | 105.2 | 154.2 | $91.71 |
| 15 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 108.9 | 151.1 | 104.8 | 106.7 | $91.84 |
| 16 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 108.8 | 151.4 | 105.2 | 149.8 | $91.91 |
| 17 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 108.6 | 144.4 | 105.2 | 147.8 | $92.08 |
| 18 | Vallejo, CA | 108.5 | 142.0 | 105.2 | 155.0 | $92.18 |
| 19 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 108.3 | 148.4 | 99.7 | 148.8 | $92.37 |
| 20 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 107.8 | 139.6 | 105.2 | 154.8 | $92.78 |
| 21 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | 106.9 | 150.5 | 97.3 | 147.1 | $93.58 |
| 22 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 106.7 | 130.2 | 105.2 | 151.3 | $93.75 |
| 23 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 106.4 | 129.3 | 101.4 | 148.6 | $93.95 |
| 24 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 105.8 | 146.9 | 101.0 | 87.9 | $94.53 |
| 25 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | 105.7 | 134.2 | 97.7 | 133.5 | $94.65 |
Cost-of-living ranking · BEA regional price parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100)
Which U.S. cities have the highest cost of living?
San Francisco is the most expensive U.S. metro area to live in: its prices ran 15.6% above the national average in 2024, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL (114.2) and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (113.6) followed. Monroe, LA was the cheapest at 83.6, and 297 of 387 metros were below the U.S. average of 100.
How is cost of living measured on this list?
This list ranks all 387 U.S. metro areas by BEA’s regional price parity for 2024. The U.S. average is 100, so a metro at 110 has prices 10% above average for the same basket of goods, rents, utilities and services. The typical metro scored 93.5, about 6.5% below average.
BEA builds regional price parities from Consumer Price Index price quotes and American Community Survey rents, weighted by what households spend. The “$100 buys” column turns each index into purchasing power: what $100 of U.S.-average spending is worth locally. Outside metro areas, the U.S. nonmetropolitan portion scored 88.7. For rents alone, see the most expensive places to rent.
Which metros have the highest cost of living?
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA led at 115.6, then Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL at 114.2 and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA at 113.6. 14 of the 25 most expensive metros are in California, and 90 of 387 metros had prices above the national average.
Linked names open the WealthyBud market page for that metro, with list prices, inventory and rent yield. The index covers rents, not purchase prices; for those, see the most expensive places to buy a house.
Which metros have the lowest cost of living?
Monroe, LA had the lowest prices of any metro in 2024, 83.6, or 16.4% below the U.S. average. Eagle Pass, TX (83.8) and Dothan, AL (83.8) followed. In Monroe, LA, $100 of typical U.S. spending stretches to about $119.62, and 97 metros had prices at least 10% below average.
| Rank (lowest) | Metro area | All items | Housing (rents) | Goods | $100 buys |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monroe, LA | 83.6 | 42.8 | 93.7 | $119.62 |
| 2 | Eagle Pass, TX | 83.8 | 53.7 | 93.8 | $119.32 |
| 3 | Dothan, AL | 83.8 | 46.9 | 96.4 | $119.28 |
| 4 | Texarkana, TX-AR | 84.0 | 49.9 | 93.7 | $119.03 |
| 5 | Enid, OK | 84.3 | 51.4 | 93.8 | $118.67 |
| 6 | Hammond, LA | 84.5 | 48.2 | 93.7 | $118.40 |
| 7 | Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | 84.8 | 52.3 | 93.7 | $117.97 |
| 8 | Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | 84.8 | 47.7 | 96.4 | $117.90 |
| 9 | Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | 85.1 | 51.3 | 93.7 | $117.50 |
| 10 | Wildwood-The Villages, FL | 85.4 | 51.7 | 96.2 | $117.06 |
| 11 | Jackson, TN | 85.5 | 56.6 | 96.2 | $116.93 |
| 12 | Gadsden, AL | 85.7 | 53.7 | 96.4 | $116.75 |
| 13 | Alexandria, LA | 85.7 | 53.7 | 93.7 | $116.71 |
| 14 | Joplin, MO-KS | 85.7 | 54.0 | 94.2 | $116.66 |
| 15 | Hot Springs, AR | 85.7 | 57.3 | 93.6 | $116.65 |
| 16 | Lake Charles, LA | 85.9 | 51.8 | 93.7 | $116.48 |
| 17 | Jonesboro, AR | 85.9 | 53.8 | 93.6 | $116.45 |
| 18 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | 85.9 | 53.4 | 93.6 | $116.43 |
| 19 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 85.9 | 55.9 | 93.8 | $116.42 |
| 20 | Johnstown, PA | 85.9 | 42.3 | 100.7 | $116.38 |
| 21 | Lawton, OK | 85.9 | 57.4 | 93.8 | $116.36 |
| 22 | Anniston-Oxford, AL | 85.9 | 54.7 | 96.4 | $116.35 |
| 23 | Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | 86.0 | 57.7 | 93.8 | $116.31 |
| 24 | Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | 86.1 | 56.4 | 94.2 | $116.17 |
| 25 | Paducah, KY-IL | 86.1 | 48.8 | 96.0 | $116.17 |
A low price level is not the same as a strong rental yield. Check these metros against the cheapest places to buy a house and the best cash-flow markets.
Which big cities are the most and least expensive?
Among the 56 metros with at least one million residents, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA was the most expensive at 115.6 and Tulsa, OK the cheapest at 89.2. 28 of those 56 large metros had prices below the national average in 2024.
| Rank | Metro area | All items | Housing (rents) | $100 buys | Population (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 115.6 | 194.7 | $86.50 | 4,630,041 |
| 2 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 114.2 | 155.6 | $87.60 | 6,391,072 |
| 3 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 113.6 | 170.4 | $88.05 | 12,844,441 |
| 4 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 112.6 | 148.6 | $88.84 | 20,112,448 |
| 5 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 111.9 | 179.3 | $89.38 | 3,282,248 |
| 6 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 111.1 | 151.3 | $89.98 | 4,161,883 |
| 7 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 110.4 | 211.9 | $90.56 | 1,984,473 |
| 8 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 108.9 | 151.1 | $91.84 | 6,465,724 |
| 9 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 108.3 | 148.4 | $92.37 | 5,034,221 |
| 10 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 106.7 | 130.2 | $93.75 | 2,477,274 |
| 11 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 106.4 | 129.3 | $93.95 | 4,769,007 |
| 12 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 105.8 | 146.9 | $94.53 | 3,092,037 |
| 13 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 105.4 | 125.1 | $94.86 | 2,542,282 |
| 14 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 104.8 | 111.8 | $95.40 | 3,790,295 |
| 15 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 104.5 | 118.2 | $95.71 | 2,857,781 |
| 16 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 103.6 | 112.0 | $96.53 | 9,434,123 |
| 17 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 103.3 | 121.2 | $96.79 | 5,228,938 |
| 18 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 103.1 | 117.9 | $97.00 | 8,477,157 |
| 19 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 102.7 | 110.2 | $97.33 | 1,171,426 |
| 20 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 102.6 | 113.1 | $97.51 | 6,329,118 |
| 21 | Fresno, CA | 102.2 | 95.7 | $97.89 | 1,203,383 |
| 22 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 101.8 | 103.9 | $98.26 | 1,708,161 |
| 23 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 101.4 | 123.4 | $98.60 | 2,957,672 |
| 24 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 100.9 | 125.8 | $99.12 | 3,418,895 |
| 25 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 100.9 | 123.3 | $99.14 | 1,308,377 |
| 26 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 100.3 | 94.7 | $99.70 | 4,390,913 |
| 27 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 100.2 | 115.5 | $99.79 | 2,407,226 |
| 28 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 100.1 | 111.0 | $99.94 | 6,482,182 |
| 29 | Jacksonville, FL | 99.5 | 109.8 | $100.52 | 1,785,500 |
| 30 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 98.6 | 104.5 | $101.39 | 7,904,627 |
| 31 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | 98.2 | 103.5 | $101.88 | 1,595,720 |
| 32 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 98.1 | 120.4 | $101.97 | 2,620,945 |
| 33 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 97.9 | 99.8 | $102.10 | 1,797,213 |
| 34 | Richmond, VA | 97.9 | 99.1 | $102.19 | 1,389,338 |
| 35 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 97.3 | 97.6 | $102.72 | 2,938,830 |
| 36 | Rochester, NY | 97.0 | 87.5 | $103.06 | 1,056,149 |
| 37 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 96.9 | 97.1 | $103.16 | 1,575,010 |
| 38 | Tucson, AZ | 96.9 | 91.8 | $103.20 | 1,074,685 |
| 39 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 96.3 | 104.6 | $103.80 | 2,197,416 |
| 40 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 95.8 | 81.0 | $104.34 | 1,155,653 |
| 41 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 95.7 | 88.9 | $104.50 | 2,205,695 |
| 42 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | 95.5 | 86.6 | $104.66 | 1,183,645 |
| 43 | Columbus, OH | 95.5 | 87.9 | $104.75 | 2,242,028 |
| 44 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 95.4 | 87.6 | $104.85 | 2,312,858 |
| 45 | St. Louis, MO-IL | 95.1 | 79.0 | $105.17 | 2,814,421 |
| 46 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 94.7 | 94.6 | $105.58 | 2,813,140 |
| 47 | Pittsburgh, PA | 94.7 | 72.0 | $105.63 | 2,421,992 |
| 48 | Cleveland, OH | 93.9 | 79.4 | $106.47 | 2,165,775 |
| 49 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | 93.3 | 76.8 | $107.23 | 1,014,101 |
| 50 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 93.1 | 78.6 | $107.44 | 1,402,509 |
| 51 | Kansas City, MO-KS | 92.5 | 86.6 | $108.06 | 2,270,682 |
| 52 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 92.2 | 79.8 | $108.48 | 1,341,412 |
| 53 | Omaha, NE-IA | 91.9 | 86.4 | $108.80 | 1,009,836 |
| 54 | Birmingham, AL | 91.6 | 71.9 | $109.12 | 1,197,766 |
| 55 | Oklahoma City, OK | 90.4 | 73.9 | $110.61 | 1,512,813 |
| 56 | Tulsa, OK | 89.2 | 68.2 | $112.09 | 1,069,273 |
Why is housing the biggest cost-of-living gap?
Housing is where metros differ most. BEA’s rent index ranged from 211.9 in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA to 42.3 in Johnstown, PA, a spread of 170 points. Goods prices varied far less, only 18 points from the most to the least expensive metro.
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA had the highest housing index, 211.9, more than double the national level.
- Kahului-Wailuku, HI had the highest goods prices, 111.6; Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR had the lowest, 93.6.
- Utilities ranged from 190.6 to 69.7, with Hawaii at the top.
- Across all 387 metros, the all-items index tracks the housing index far more closely (correlation 0.94) than the goods index (0.71).
Where has the cost of living risen fastest since 2019?
Relative prices shifted toward Florida after 2019. Among metros with at least 250,000 residents, Port St. Lucie, FL rose the most against the U.S. average, from 94.4 in 2019 to 100.2 in 2024. 9 of the 10 biggest risers are in Florida. Shreveport-Bossier City, LA fell the most.
| # | Metro area | 2019 | 2024 | Change (pts) | Population (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Port St. Lucie, FL | 94.4 | 100.2 | +5.8 | 568,721 |
| 2 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 108.6 | 114.2 | +5.6 | 6,391,072 |
| 3 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | 97.8 | 102.3 | +4.5 | 875,607 |
| 4 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 96.5 | 100.9 | +4.4 | 3,418,895 |
| 5 | Portland-South Portland, ME | 97.6 | 101.9 | +4.3 | 577,635 |
| 6 | Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | 93.9 | 97.7 | +3.8 | 544,949 |
| 7 | Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | 95.8 | 99.4 | +3.6 | 746,933 |
| 8 | Jacksonville, FL | 95.9 | 99.5 | +3.6 | 1,785,500 |
| 9 | Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | 93.6 | 97.1 | +3.6 | 874,790 |
| 10 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | 96.6 | 100.0 | +3.4 | 663,982 |
A rise means local prices grew faster than U.S. prices, not that prices rose by that many percent. Several of the risers, including Port St. Lucie, Lakeland and Jacksonville, also appear on the where people are moving and fastest-growing metros lists.
How is this list calculated?
Universe: all 387 metropolitan statistical areas in BEA’s 2024 regional price parity table. Each metro is ranked by its all-items RPP, highest first, and ties share a rank. RPPs compare price levels across places in one year, so they are not an inflation rate.
- Download BEA’s regional price parities by metro area (table MARPP), 2019–2024 values as revised in the latest release.
- Keep the all-items index and the goods, housing, utilities and other-services components for each of the 387 metros.
- Join Census Vintage 2025 population by metro code for the size filters.
- Sort by the all-items index and compute “$100 buys” as 100 × 100 ÷ RPP. Nothing is estimated or filled in.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most expensive city to live in the U.S.?
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA had the highest cost of living of any U.S. metro area in 2024, with prices 15.6% above the national average, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reports. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL ranked second at 114.2 and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA third at 113.6, where 100 is the U.S. average.
What is the cheapest city to live in the U.S.?
Monroe, LA had the lowest price level of any U.S. metro area in 2024, 83.6, or 16.4% below the national average. Eagle Pass, TX and Dothan, AL were next. BEA’s regional price parities cover goods, rents, utilities and other services.
Which big city has the lowest cost of living?
Among the 56 metros with at least one million residents, Tulsa, OK had the lowest price level in 2024, 89.2, according to BEA. Oklahoma City, OK (90.4) and Birmingham, AL (91.6) were also among the cheapest large metros. 28 of the 56 were below the U.S. average.
What is a regional price parity?
A regional price parity, or RPP, measures how expensive an area is compared with the U.S. average, which is set at 100. BEA builds it from Consumer Price Index prices and Census rent data. A metro at 115.6 costs 15.6% above average; one at 83.6 costs 16.4% below.
Why is housing so much more expensive in some metros?
Rents vary far more than other prices. BEA’s 2024 housing index ran from 211.9 in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA to 42.3 in Johnstown, PA, while goods prices stayed within an 18-point band. That housing spread is the widest of BEA’s four price categories, ahead of utilities.
How should real estate investors use cost of living data?
Cost of living shows what a dollar buys in a metro, not whether its rentals pay. Use it to sanity-check rent and price levels against local costs, then compare population growth, job data, property taxes and rent yields before choosing a market. WealthyBud links each metro to its market page for those numbers.
Key takeaways
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA had the highest cost of living in 2024, 115.6, or 15.6% above the U.S. average.
- Monroe, LA was the cheapest metro at 83.6.
- 297 of 387 metros were below the national average; the median metro scored 93.5.
- Housing varies most: BEA’s rent index ranged from 42.3 to 211.9.
- Port St. Lucie, FL had the largest relative rise since 2019 among metros with 250,000+ residents.
For education only, not investment advice. Regional price parities are BEA estimates for 2024, the latest year published, and are revised with each release.