Cheapest State
Mississippi
Index 83.3|Median home $162,100
2026 Edition | Updated May 2026
Cost of Living by State: 2026 Rankings for All 50 States
The complete cost of living index, sourced from C2ER and the BEA. Housing, groceries, healthcare, utilities, taxes, and salaries, compared side by side. Built for relocators, remote workers, and retirees who need data, not a listicle.
Most Expensive
Hawaii
Index 193.3|Median home $978,200
National Average
100.0
29 of 50 states sit below the national average. Median state: Idaho.
Cost of Living Heatmap
National average = 100
DC
Below 8888 - 9495 - 104105 - 119120+
Hover any state for its cost index.
Quick Compare
Equivalent salary in Texas
$51,477
You can earn less
-$28,523
Cost of living change
-35.7%
Based on the C2ER Cost of Living Index. Excludes state and local taxes; see our taxes page for the full picture, or use the full calculator.
All 50 states
2026 Cost of Living Index
| State | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MississippiMS | 1 | 83.3 | 56.2 | 93.1 | 90.2 | 97.8 | 90.5 | $162,100 | $810 |
| West VirginiaWV | 2 | 84.1 | 56.8 | 93.5 | 93.5 | 103.8 | 93.8 | $145,600 | $780 |
| KansasKS | 3 | 84.8 | 62.0 | 93.8 | 98.2 | 99.5 | 93.5 | $207,600 | $940 |
| OklahomaOK | 4 | 84.9 | 60.8 | 94.5 | 92.5 | 100.2 | 94.2 | $196,500 | $880 |
| ArkansasAR | 5 | 86.0 | 62.0 | 92.3 | 90.9 | 99.8 | 93.0 | $192,800 | $830 |
| MissouriMO | 6 | 87.1 | 67.5 | 94.8 | 95.5 | 99.2 | 93.8 | $222,300 | $950 |
| KentuckyKY | 7 | 87.5 | 66.2 | 93.5 | 93.3 | 102.5 | 94.8 | $198,500 | $870 |
| AlabamaAL | 8 | 87.9 | 66.8 | 96.4 | 91.0 | 103.7 | 92.7 | $216,500 | $920 |
| IowaIA | 9 | 89.0 | 69.8 | 95.8 | 99.5 | 97.5 | 96.2 | $208,700 | $890 |
| IndianaIN | 10 | 89.4 | 72.1 | 95.5 | 96.3 | 98.2 | 97.5 | $227,800 | $970 |
| LouisianaLA | 11 | 89.6 | 72.5 | 96.2 | 91.8 | 96.5 | 96.8 | $198,200 | $930 |
| TennesseeTN | 12 | 89.7 | 75.8 | 94.2 | 92.8 | 97.8 | 95.2 | $298,500 | $1,180 |
| OhioOH | 13 | 89.8 | 68.5 | 97.5 | 98.8 | 100.5 | 98.5 | $210,500 | $960 |
| MichiganMI | 14 | 90.3 | 72.8 | 95.2 | 99.8 | 107.5 | 98.2 | $235,400 | $1,050 |
| NebraskaNE | 15 | 90.8 | 74.5 | 96.5 | 101.2 | 92.8 | 96.8 | $246,800 | $1,010 |
| New MexicoNM | 16 | 91.3 | 81.2 | 96.5 | 91.5 | 94.2 | 96.2 | $287,500 | $990 |
| GeorgiaGA | 17 | 91.5 | 80.7 | 95.7 | 95.3 | 96.2 | 98.5 | $310,200 | $1,340 |
| TexasTX | 18 | 91.5 | 81.5 | 93.5 | 95.8 | 101.5 | 98.5 | $298,700 | $1,320 |
| South CarolinaSC | 19 | 92.5 | 79.5 | 97.8 | 97.2 | 107.5 | 96.2 | $278,600 | $1,180 |
| IllinoisIL | 20 | 93.4 | 80.7 | 99.2 | 102.5 | 97.3 | 106.5 | $262,500 | $1,220 |
| WisconsinWI | 21 | 93.5 | 79.2 | 98.5 | 102.8 | 101.2 | 99.8 | $265,800 | $1,080 |
| North DakotaND | 22 | 94.5 | 81.2 | 100.5 | 107.2 | 85.8 | 96.5 | $248,500 | $920 |
| North CarolinaNC | 23 | 94.9 | 85.5 | 96.2 | 99.5 | 99.8 | 97.5 | $318,600 | $1,220 |
| South DakotaSD | 24 | 95.2 | 86.5 | 99.2 | 107.5 | 89.5 | 96.5 | $285,400 | $920 |
| WyomingWY | 25 | 95.8 | 86.2 | 99.5 | 104.2 | 82.8 | 98.2 | $298,500 | $920 |
| IdahoID | 26 | 96.8 | 96.1 | 93.6 | 96.5 | 81.2 | 96.8 | $420,300 | $1,150 |
| MinnesotaMN | 27 | 97.1 | 88.5 | 99.8 | 102.5 | 96.8 | 101.2 | $318,500 | $1,220 |
| MontanaMT | 28 | 99.2 | 103.8 | 97.5 | 98.2 | 84.5 | 96.5 | $415,200 | $1,120 |
| PennsylvaniaPA | 29 | 99.5 | 93.5 | 101.8 | 103.5 | 108.5 | 105.2 | $268,500 | $1,180 |
| ArizonaAZ | 30 | 102.2 | 107.8 | 96.5 | 95.3 | 100.3 | 101.8 | $394,200 | $1,380 |
| DelawareDE | 31 | 102.4 | 96.5 | 104.2 | 112.6 | 107.3 | 104.1 | $355,400 | $1,310 |
| FloridaFL | 32 | 102.8 | 107.3 | 101.5 | 96.2 | 101.2 | 105.8 | $398,500 | $1,620 |
| UtahUT | 33 | 103.5 | 115.2 | 96.8 | 93.5 | 82.5 | 98.5 | $475,800 | $1,380 |
| VirginiaVA | 34 | 103.7 | 112.8 | 99.5 | 98.2 | 99.5 | 101.8 | $385,200 | $1,480 |
| NevadaNV | 35 | 104.2 | 115.8 | 101.2 | 100.5 | 91.5 | 108.5 | $435,600 | $1,480 |
| ColoradoCO | 36 | 105.1 | 118.9 | 99.4 | 96.1 | 88.5 | 98.8 | $525,600 | $1,680 |
| WashingtonWA | 37 | 110.7 | 130.2 | 103.5 | 102.5 | 82.5 | 112.8 | $568,500 | $1,780 |
| Rhode IslandRI | 38 | 111.8 | 118.5 | 103.5 | 115.2 | 128.5 | 105.5 | $418,500 | $1,520 |
| MaineME | 39 | 112.1 | 115.2 | 104.8 | 119.5 | 120.5 | 107.2 | $365,800 | $1,280 |
| New HampshireNH | 40 | 112.5 | 120.2 | 102.5 | 115.8 | 122.5 | 105.8 | $425,800 | $1,580 |
| ConnecticutCT | 41 | 112.8 | 113.0 | 106.1 | 115.8 | 131.5 | 107.2 | $395,100 | $1,520 |
| OregonOR | 42 | 113.1 | 132.5 | 101.5 | 102.8 | 88.5 | 112.5 | $498,500 | $1,520 |
| VermontVT | 43 | 114.5 | 123.5 | 105.8 | 118.5 | 125.8 | 105.2 | $378,500 | $1,380 |
| New JerseyNJ | 44 | 115.2 | 128.5 | 104.8 | 109.5 | 115.2 | 111.5 | $472,500 | $1,720 |
| MarylandMD | 45 | 118.2 | 140.5 | 104.5 | 107.2 | 114.8 | 109.5 | $398,500 | $1,620 |
| New YorkNY | 46 | 126.5 | 155.8 | 106.2 | 110.5 | 125.5 | 114.2 | $435,800 | $1,780 |
| AlaskaAK | 47 | 127.0 | 128.3 | 129.5 | 155.7 | 169.8 | 112.5 | $345,700 | $1,330 |
| CaliforniaCA | 48 | 142.2 | 196.5 | 105.1 | 107.8 | 113.2 | 118.9 | $785,300 | $2,120 |
| MassachusettsMA | 49 | 148.4 | 210.5 | 107.5 | 118.2 | 138.5 | 112.8 | $598,700 | $2,280 |
| HawaiiHI | 50 | 193.3 | 318.6 | 149.7 | 112.6 | 168.5 | 136.3 | $978,200 | $2,350 |
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, C2ER Cost of Living Index and US Census ACS housing and rent estimates. Click any column header to sort.
Key findings
What the 2026 numbers actually say
2.32x
Hawaii costs 2.32x more than Mississippi
Geographic isolation, energy imports, and a constrained housing supply put Hawaii in a category of its own.
60-70%
Of the variation between states comes from housing
Once you control for the housing sub-index, most other categories cluster within 20 points of average.
9 states
Have no state income tax
Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming. But sales and property tax often offset.
$100 = $193
$100 in Mississippi has the same buying power as $193 in Hawaii
Salary purchasing power is the metric that matters more than raw cost. See the salary comparison page.
29 of 50
States are below the national average
Concentrated in the South and Midwest. The Northeast and West Coast dominate the upper end.
+8.4%
Average state cost increase since 2021
Florida, Idaho, and Tennessee have seen the steepest jumps. Plains states have stayed roughly flat.
Continue reading
Dive deeper into the data
Cheapest States
Top 10 affordable states with full breakdowns.
Read more →
Most Expensive States
Top 10 priciest states and what drives the cost.
Read more →
Compare Two States
Side-by-side salary and category comparison.
Read more →
Tax Burden by State
Income, property and sales tax for all 50.
Read more →
Best States to Retire
Cost + tax + healthcare composite ranking.
Read more →
Best for Families
Cost + childcare + healthcare composite.
Read more →
Housing Costs
Median home price, rent, mortgage by state.
Read more →
Salary Purchasing Power
What $80k, $100k, $150k actually buys.
Read more →
About the data
What the cost of living index does and doesn't measure.
The C2ER Cost of Living Index is a price-only measure of consumer goods and services across six categories. A state with an index of 110 is 10% more expensive than the national average; an index of 90 is 10% cheaper. It is the most widely cited cost of living dataset in the US, used by the BLS, BEA, and most national publications.
What it does NOT include: state and local taxes, savings rates, quality of life, education quality, climate, crime, or commute times. We cover taxes on a separate page so you can build a more complete picture of what your money will actually do in each state.
Frequently Asked
Cost of living, answered
What is the cheapest state to live in?
Mississippi is the cheapest state in the 2026 C2ER index, with a composite score of 83.3 (US average = 100). Housing is the main driver: the median home is $162,100 and a 2-bedroom rents for $810 on average. Kansas, Oklahoma, and Alabama follow closely. The trade-off is wages: median household income in these states is also below the national average.
What is the most expensive state to live in?
Hawaii at 193.3, more than 2.3x the cost of Mississippi. The cause is geographic isolation: nearly every consumer good is shipped or flown in, electricity averages over 42 cents per kWh, and the median home costs almost $978,200. On the mainland, Massachusetts and California top the list, primarily because of housing costs in their major metros.
How is cost of living calculated?
The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index measures relative price levels across six categories: housing (28%), groceries (13%), utilities (10%), transportation (12%), healthcare (4%), and miscellaneous goods and services (33%). Each is benchmarked to a national average of 100. Crucially, the index does NOT include state and local taxes, which can swing the picture significantly. See our methodology page for sources and limitations.
Does cost of living include taxes?
No. The standard C2ER index excludes state income tax, property tax, and sales tax. This is a major gap. Texas has no income tax but high property tax (1.60% effective). Oregon has no sales tax but income tax up to 9.9%. To see the full picture, layer the C2ER index against the Tax Foundation's state-by-state burden data, which we summarise on the taxes page.
Which states are below the national average for cost of living?
29 states sit below the 100-point national average in the 2026 index. The cluster is concentrated in the South and Midwest: Mississippi, Kansas, Oklahoma, Alabama, West Virginia, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and others. Housing is overwhelmingly the source of the savings.
How often is the index updated?
C2ER publishes quarterly updates and the site refreshes against the latest C2ER, BEA RPP and BLS CPI vintages on a rolling basis. The footer rates-verified stamp records when figures were last reviewed (verified May 2026). Median home prices are sourced from Census ACS five-year estimates and Zillow ZHVI. Tax rates use the Tax Foundation's most recent state burden release. Healthcare and utility figures use the most recent KFF and EIA releases.