Most & Least Expensive US Cities to Live In (2026)

FAHAQ Study · Updated 2026-07-19 · 2026 data

US cities ranked by overall cost-of-living index (US urban average = 100) — from New York City at the top to the affordable Midwest and South.

Cost of living compresses housing, groceries, utilities, transport and healthcare into one number, with the US urban average set at 100. We ranked major US cities by that composite index. New York City, NY tops the list at 187, roughly 87% above the national average, while Cleveland, OH is the most affordable at 82.

#	City	Cost index	vs US average
1	New York City, NY	187	+87% vs US avg
2	Honolulu, HI	186	+86% vs US avg
3	San Francisco, CA	179	+79% vs US avg
4	San Jose, CA	176	+76% vs US avg
5	Seattle, WA	154	+54% vs US avg
6	Washington, DC	152	+52% vs US avg
7	Boston, MA	150	+50% vs US avg
8	Los Angeles, CA	148	+48% vs US avg
9	Oakland, CA	143	+43% vs US avg
10	San Diego, CA	143	+43% vs US avg
11	Portland, OR	130	+30% vs US avg
12	Anchorage, AK	122	+22% vs US avg
13	Miami, FL	122	+22% vs US avg
14	Hartford, CT	122	+22% vs US avg
15	Newark, NJ	120	+20% vs US avg
16	Providence, RI	118	+18% vs US avg
17	Portland, ME	116	+16% vs US avg
18	Sacramento, CA	115	+15% vs US avg
19	Denver, CO	112	+12% vs US avg
20	Baltimore, MD	110	+10% vs US avg
21	Ann Arbor, MI	110	+10% vs US avg
22	Reno, NV	109	+9% vs US avg
23	Eugene, OR	108	+8% vs US avg
24	Phoenix, AZ	108	+8% vs US avg
25	Salt Lake City, UT	108	+8% vs US avg
26	Charleston, SC	108	+8% vs US avg
27	Atlanta, GA	107	+7% vs US avg
28	Fort Collins, CO	106	+6% vs US avg
29	Las Vegas, NV	106	+6% vs US avg
30	Chicago, IL	106	+6% vs US avg
31	Minneapolis, MN	106	+6% vs US avg
32	Colorado Springs, CO	104	+4% vs US avg
33	Boise, ID	104	+4% vs US avg
34	Orlando, FL	104	+4% vs US avg
35	Madison, WI	104	+4% vs US avg
36	Philadelphia, PA	104	+4% vs US avg
37	Nashville, TN	103	+3% vs US avg
38	Dallas, TX	102	+2% vs US avg
39	Tampa, FL	102	+2% vs US avg
40	Fresno, CA	101	+1% vs US avg
41	Austin, TX	101	+1% vs US avg
42	Richmond, VA	100	+0% vs US avg
43	Virginia Beach, VA	100	+0% vs US avg
44	Charlotte, NC	99	−1% vs US avg
45	Raleigh, NC	99	−1% vs US avg
46	Spokane, WA	98	−2% vs US avg
47	Fort Worth, TX	98	−2% vs US avg
48	Tucson, AZ	96	−4% vs US avg
49	Houston, TX	96	−4% vs US avg
50	New Orleans, LA	96	−4% vs US avg
51	Jacksonville, FL	96	−4% vs US avg
52	Milwaukee, WI	95	−5% vs US avg
53	Albuquerque, NM	94	−6% vs US avg
54	Savannah, GA	94	−6% vs US avg
55	San Antonio, TX	92	−8% vs US avg
56	Baton Rouge, LA	92	−8% vs US avg
57	Columbia, SC	92	−8% vs US avg
58	Des Moines, IA	92	−8% vs US avg
59	Pittsburgh, PA	92	−8% vs US avg
60	Buffalo, NY	92	−8% vs US avg
61	Louisville, KY	90	−10% vs US avg
62	Indianapolis, IN	90	−10% vs US avg
63	Columbus, OH	90	−10% vs US avg
64	Kansas City, MO	90	−10% vs US avg
65	Omaha, NE	90	−10% vs US avg
66	Rochester, NY	90	−10% vs US avg
67	Knoxville, TN	89	−11% vs US avg
68	El Paso, TX	88	−12% vs US avg
69	Little Rock, AR	88	−12% vs US avg
70	Cincinnati, OH	88	−12% vs US avg
71	Detroit, MI	88	−12% vs US avg
72	St. Louis, MO	87	−13% vs US avg
73	Memphis, TN	86	−14% vs US avg
74	Oklahoma City, OK	84	−16% vs US avg
75	Wichita, KS	83	−17% vs US avg
76	Tulsa, OK	82	−18% vs US avg
77	Cleveland, OH	82	−18% vs US avg

Each row links to that city’s full FAHAQ calculator. Figures are for 2026.

Methodology

Each city's composite cost-of-living index uses the C2ER / ACCRA convention where the US urban average = 100 — a city at 130 is about 30% more expensive than average. Composite figures are anchored to recognized C2ER-style quarterly data and cross-checked against Numbeo's US city rankings (rebased to US-avg = 100), weighing housing, groceries, utilities, transportation and healthcare. Cost-of-living indices are inherently approximate and vary by source and quarter; we prioritize one consistent scale across all cities over false precision. Cities are ranked descending, most expensive first.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

What is the most expensive US city to live in?

New York City, NY is the most expensive major US city in this index at 187 — about 87% above the national average — driven mainly by housing. Honolulu, San Francisco and San Jose follow closely.

How does the cost-of-living index work?

The US urban average is set to 100. A city's index tells you how its overall costs compare: 120 means about 20% more expensive than average, 85 means about 15% cheaper. It blends housing, groceries, utilities, transportation and healthcare, with housing weighted most heavily.

Which US cities are the most affordable?

The cheapest cities in this ranking cluster in the Midwest and South — places like Cleveland, OH, Tulsa, Wichita and Cleveland — where housing sits well below the national average.

Are cost-of-living indices exact?

No. They are comparative estimates that differ by source and quarter, and real costs vary by neighborhood, household and lifestyle. Use the index to compare cities, not as a precise budget.

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