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We've covered the cost of renting, and the cost of buying, but there are broader measures of total expenses that we'll take a quick look at here. This measure includes all costs, including real estate, but also gas, food, apparel, haircuts, etc. In this case, the index assumes that you are one person who is renting, but the metrics for families should be somewhat similar.
Here are the highest cost of living states (calculated as an average of the 50,000+ population cities within the state):
| State | Average City's Monthly Cost of Living |
|---|---|
| HI | $2,800 |
| MA | $2,700 |
| CA | $2,600 |
| ME | $2,500 |
| MD | $2,500 |
Using the same calculation, here are the lowest cost of living states:
| State | Average City's Monthly Cost of Living |
|---|---|
| SD | $1,200 |
| MO | $1,200 |
| IA | $1,300 |
| OK | $1,500 |
| MS | $1,600 |
Highest cost of living cities were Santa Barbara, California; New York City; Somerville, Massachusetts; San Francisco, California; and Antioch, California, while the most affordable were Youngstown, Ohio; Canton, Ohio; Las Cruces, New Mexico; Springfield, Illinois, and Valdosta, Georgia.
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