Cost of Living by State for Families, Couples and Singles (2026)
What a typical monthly budget costs in every state, for three kinds of households. A family of four needs about $7,777 a month at U.S. average prices, from $6,490 in Arkansas to $9,268 in Washington, D.C..
Click a state for the full breakdown by category. The rent index shows each state's rent level against the national average (100), which explains most of the difference between states.
| # | State | Family of four | Couple | Single adult | Rent index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, D.C. | $9,268 | $5,812 | $4,208 | 155 |
| 2 | California | $9,251 | $5,793 | $4,194 | 154 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $8,855 | $5,552 | $3,941 | 134 |
| 4 | Hawaii | $8,818 | $5,538 | $3,879 | 125 |
| 5 | New York | $8,607 | $5,397 | $3,783 | 122 |
| 6 | Washington | $8,582 | $5,375 | $3,794 | 126 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $8,428 | $5,260 | $3,743 | 128 |
| 8 | Maryland | $8,372 | $5,243 | $3,691 | 121 |
| 9 | Colorado | $8,335 | $5,217 | $3,713 | 127 |
| 10 | Florida | $8,233 | $5,145 | $3,643 | 122 |
| 11 | Oregon | $8,163 | $5,129 | $3,552 | 109 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $8,142 | $5,083 | $3,567 | 115 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $8,126 | $5,071 | $3,572 | 117 |
| 14 | Virginia | $7,945 | $4,982 | $3,460 | 107 |
| 15 | Nevada | $7,938 | $4,968 | $3,496 | 114 |
| 16 | Alaska | $7,900 | $4,969 | $3,375 | 94 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $7,871 | $4,913 | $3,417 | 106 |
| 18 | Arizona | $7,817 | $4,881 | $3,406 | 107 |
| 19 | Utah | $7,800 | $4,886 | $3,413 | 108 |
| — | U.S. average | $7,777 | $4,878 | $3,362 | 100 |
| 20 | Illinois | $7,770 | $4,890 | $3,332 | 94 |
| 21 | Delaware | $7,713 | $4,822 | $3,344 | 102 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $7,597 | $4,772 | $3,251 | 91 |
| 23 | Texas | $7,572 | $4,756 | $3,272 | 97 |
| 24 | Georgia | $7,431 | $4,673 | $3,179 | 89 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $7,416 | $4,656 | $3,150 | 85 |
| 26 | Vermont | $7,408 | $4,640 | $3,150 | 87 |
| 27 | Idaho | $7,386 | $4,638 | $3,169 | 90 |
| 28 | Maine | $7,256 | $4,547 | $3,054 | 79 |
| 29 | Michigan | $7,252 | $4,545 | $3,072 | 82 |
| 30 | Montana | $7,251 | $4,555 | $3,091 | 85 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $7,193 | $4,521 | $3,052 | 81 |
| 32 | South Carolina | $7,159 | $4,502 | $3,036 | 80 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $7,093 | $4,448 | $3,000 | 79 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $7,065 | $4,453 | $2,999 | 79 |
| 35 | Indiana | $7,004 | $4,400 | $2,941 | 74 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $6,993 | $4,404 | $2,940 | 74 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $6,948 | $4,368 | $2,906 | 71 |
| 38 | Ohio | $6,920 | $4,342 | $2,903 | 73 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $6,871 | $4,329 | $2,907 | 75 |
| 40 | Missouri | $6,864 | $4,329 | $2,876 | 70 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $6,806 | $4,300 | $2,867 | 71 |
| 42 | Kansas | $6,796 | $4,280 | $2,856 | 71 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $6,755 | $4,261 | $2,805 | 64 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $6,725 | $4,249 | $2,817 | 68 |
| 45 | Alabama | $6,690 | $4,230 | $2,772 | 62 |
| 46 | Iowa | $6,625 | $4,182 | $2,766 | 65 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $6,616 | $4,174 | $2,749 | 63 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $6,603 | $4,169 | $2,744 | 63 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $6,587 | $4,159 | $2,689 | 54 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $6,542 | $4,145 | $2,693 | 56 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $6,490 | $4,100 | $2,679 | 58 |
Estimates for 2026 from LifeCalculator's family budget model: BEA Regional Price Parities by state (2024, released February 2026), USDA Food Plans: Cost of Food at Home (August 2026, low-cost plan), BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey (2024), Census median gross rent (2024) and Child Care Aware of America (2025). Figures from 2024 are adjusted by about 5% for price changes since. Savings and income taxes are not included. Households: family of four = parents 38 and 40, children 9 and 4 with paid childcare, three-bedroom rental; couple = two adults aged 35, one-bedroom rental; single = one adult aged 30, one-bedroom rental.
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