Cost/Pricing
Cost of Living Index by State 2026
Hawaii 185.0
Highest The most expensive states typically have high housing costs driven by demand in major metropolitan areas and limited housing supply.
Oklahoma 86.0
Lowest The cheapest states to live in often have abundant affordable housing and lower costs across all major expense categories.
Cost of Living Index
80.0
100.0
120.0
140.0
160.0
180.0
185.0
142.3
141.2
138.8
125.1
124.9
States Ranked by Cost of Living Index
State | Cost of Living Index 2025↓ | |
|---|---|---|
 | Hawaii | 185.0 |
 | California | 142.3 |
 | Massachusetts | 141.2 |
 | District of Columbia | 138.8 |
 | New York | 125.1 |
 | Alaska | 124.9 |
 | Maryland | 115.4 |
 | New Jersey | 115.1 |
 | Washington | 114.1 |
 | Vermont | 113.6 |
 | Maine | 113.0 |
 | Connecticut | 112.7 |
 | Oregon | 111.8 |
 | New Hampshire | 111.4 |
 | Arizona | 110.7 |
 | Rhode Island | 110.6 |
 | Colorado | 102.7 |
 | Florida | 102.2 |
 | Utah | 102.2 |
 | Delaware | 101.9 |
 | Virginia | 100.8 |
 | Nevada | 100.2 |
 | Idaho | 99.9 |
 | North Carolina | 97.8 |
 | Wisconsin | 97.7 |
 | Pennsylvania | 97.2 |
 | Montana | 95.5 |
 | Illinois | 94.7 |
 | South Carolina | 94.7 |
 | Minnesota | 94.6 |
 | Ohio | 94.3 |
 | New Mexico | 93.7 |
 | Wyoming | 93.7 |
 | Nebraska | 92.6 |
 | Georgia | 92.5 |
 | Kentucky | 92.5 |
 | Louisiana | 92.3 |
 | Texas | 92.1 |
 | South Dakota | 91.9 |
 | North Dakota | 91.4 |
 | Indiana | 91.0 |
 | Tennessee | 90.3 |
 | Michigan | 90.1 |
 | Iowa | 89.7 |
 | Arkansas | 89.6 |
 | Missouri | 89.0 |
 | Kansas | 88.8 |
 | Alabama | 88.6 |
 | West Virginia | 88.3 |
 | Mississippi | 87.3 |
 | Oklahoma | 86.0 |
- The Cost of Living Index (COLI) compiles the six subcategories (housing, utilities, grocery items, transportation, health care, and miscellaneous goods and services) into a single value.
- COLI values are relative to a national average value of 100 (100%). For example, a COLI of 87.9 is 12.1% below the average, while a COLI of 112 is 12% higher than average.
Key Findings
Cheapest State to Live In
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Oklahoma is the cheapest state to live in with a cost of living index of 86.0. The three cheapest states to live in are West Virginia (88.3), Mississippi (87.3), and Oklahoma (86.0).
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The cheapest states to live in typically have significantly lower housing costs, which make up the largest share of overall living expenses.
Most Expensive State to Live In
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Hawaii is the most expensive state to live in with a cost of living index of 185.0. The three most expensive states are Hawaii (185.0), California (142.3), and Massachusetts (141.2).
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The most expensive states to live in are driven primarily by housing costs that can be 2-3x higher than the national average.
Cost of Living by State
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Cost of living by state varies significantly across the United States, with Hawaii costing nearly twice as much as Oklahoma.
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The cost of living index uses the national average (100) as a baseline. States above 100 are more expensive than average, while states below 100 are cheaper.
States Ranked by Cost of Living Index
State Comparison
Cost of living varies dramatically across states. Housing costs drive most of the variation, with states like Hawaii and California having housing indexes 2-3x higher than states like Mississippi and Kansas.
Definitions & Methodology
What Is the Cost of Living Index? The cost of living index measures how expensive it is to live in one state compared to the national average, which is set at 100. An index of 150 means living costs are 50% higher than average, while an index of 80 means costs are 20% lower.
What Does the Cost of Living Index Measure? The cost of living index is calculated from six categories: housing (rent and home prices), groceries (food costs), utilities (electricity, gas, water), transportation (gas, car costs, public transit), healthcare (medical services and insurance), and miscellaneous expenses (clothing, entertainment, services).
How Is Cost of Living Calculated? Cost of living indexes are calculated by comparing the cost of a basket of goods and services in each state to the national average. Housing typically represents the largest component, accounting for roughly 35% of total living expenses.
Last Updated: May 22, 2026
