15 U.S. Cities Where the Cost of Living Is Through the Roof

Everything. Is. So. Expensive. It feels like every time we breathe it costs $5. Inhale, your property taxes just went up. Exhale, inflation is coming in hot. The weight of how pricey everything is sits on everyone’s chest, but there are some areas where it weighs even more.
From New York City to New Orleans, we ranked the cities with the most expensive cost of living in 2025, including data on their current cost of living index and average monthly salary.
1. New York, New York

Cost of living index: 100.0
Average monthly salary: $5,627
Driving factors: Housing, income taxes, transportation, population density
2. San Francisco, California

Cost of living index: 90.5
Average monthly salary: $7,451
Driving factors: Housing, tech industry boom, geographic constraints
3. Honolulu, Hawaii

Cost of living index: 86.9
Average monthly salary: $4,200
Driving factors: Limited land supply, import costs, tourism demand, strict land use regulations
4. Boston, Massachusetts

Cost of living index: 83.7
Average monthly salary: $5,750
Driving factors: Housing, property taxes, healthcare costs
5. Seattle, Washington

Cost of living index: 78.9
Average monthly salary: $6,701
Driving factors: Housing, tech industry boom, high interest rates
6. Washington, D.C.

Cost of living index: 78.7
Average monthly salary: $5,868
Driving factors: Housing, taxes, transportation
7. San Diego, California

Cost of living index: 77.9
Average monthly salary: $5,506
Driving factors: Housing, transportation, taxes
8. Los Angeles, California

Cost of living index: 76.3
Average monthly salary: $4,764
Driving factors: Housing, transportation, property taxes, cost of food and groceries
9. Sacramento, California

Cost of living index: 76.0
Average monthly salary: $4,549
Driving factors: Housing, cost of food and groceries, rising wages
10. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Cost of living index: 73.9
Average monthly salary: $4,119
Driving factors: Housing, taxes, inflation
11. Chicago, Illinois

Cost of living index: 73.2
Average monthly salary: $4,915
Driving factors: Housing, transportation, cost of food and groceries
12. Miami, Florida

Cost of living index: 72.8
Average monthly salary: $3,885
Driving factors: Population growth, inflation, desirability
13. Atlanta, Georgia

Cost of living index: 71.7
Average monthly salary: $5,432
Driving factors: Housing, taxes, inflation
14. Denver, Colorado

Cost of living index: 71.6
Average monthly salary: $4,947
Driving factors: Housing, rising wages, inflation
15. New Orleans, Louisiana

Cost of living index: 71.2
Average monthly salary: $3,826
Driving factors: Housing, insurance costs, tourism