West Virginia and Kansas had the lowest cost of living across all U.S. states, with composite costs being half of those found in Hawaii. This was according to a composite index that compares prices for various goods and services on a state-by-state basis. In West Virginia, the cost of living index amounted to **** — well below the national benchmark of 100. Virginia— which had an index value of ***** — was only slightly above that benchmark. Expensive places to live included Hawaii, Massachusetts, and California. Housing costs in the U.S. Housing is usually the highest expense in a household’s budget. In 2023, the average house sold for approximately ******* U.S. dollars, but house prices in the Northeast and West regions were significantly higher. Conversely, the South had some of the least expensive housing. In West Virginia, Mississippi, and Louisiana, the median price of the typical single-family home was less than ******* U.S. dollars. That makes living expenses in these states significantly lower than in states such as Hawaii and California, where housing is much pricier. What other expenses affect the cost of living? Utility costs such as electricity, natural gas, water, and internet also influence the cost of living. In Alaska, Hawaii, and Connecticut, the average monthly utility cost exceeded *** U.S. dollars. That was because of the significantly higher prices for electricity and natural gas in these states.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Essex County, MA (MWACL25009) from 2009 to 2023 about Essex County, MA; Boston; adjusted; MA; average; wages; real; and USA.

In January 2024, dedicated desks in Boston were the most expensive coworking subscription, with a median monthly cost per person of *** U.S. dollars. This was higher than the median coworking rent in the ** largest U.S. markets. Open workspaces and virtual offices were more affordable than dedicated desks, with a median monthly cost per person of *** and *** U.S. dollars, respectively.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Rockingham County, NH (MWACL33015) from 2009 to 2023 about Rockingham County, NH; Boston; NH; adjusted; average; wages; real; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Norfolk County, MA (MWACL25021) from 2009 to 2023 about Norfolk County, MA; Boston; adjusted; MA; average; wages; real; and USA.

Estimate of energy prices for heating fuels for the 2024/25 Winter Heating Season

The monthly median asking rent for unfurnished apartments in the United States rose by about ** U.S. dollars in 2024. In the third quarter of 2024, the median rent amounted to ***** U.S. dollars, up from ***** U.S. dollars in 2023. This increase was in line with a decade of steady growth, interrupted only in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and in 2023. The U.S. rental market As rental apartment vacancy rates fall, rents are on the rise. This makes it more difficult for Americans to, first, find an apartment to rent, and second, find an apartment which they can afford. Nevertheless, renting has become much more common in recent years, with the number of renter households having substantially increased in the past two decades. In 2024, there were approximately **** million renter households in the U.S. Rents in different states Of course, rents vary from state to state. The most expensive rents are found in Hawaii, California, District of Colombia, New Jersey, and Florida. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, growth was the strongest in the Sun Belt states, and especially in states with lower costs of living, such as Texas. In Austin, TX, the average rent soared by nearly ** percent in 2021, and remained elevated, despite a slight decline in 2023.

The U.S. housing market has slowed, after ** consecutive years of rising home prices. In 2021, house prices surged by an unprecedented ** percent, marking the highest increase on record. However, the market has since cooled, with the Freddie Mac House Price Index showing more modest growth between 2022 and 2024. In 2024, home prices increased by *** percent. That was lower than the long-term average of *** percent since 1990. Impact of mortgage rates on homebuying The recent cooling in the housing market can be partly attributed to rising mortgage rates. After reaching a record low of **** percent in 2021, the average annual rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage more than doubled in 2023. This significant increase has made homeownership less affordable for many potential buyers, contributing to a substantial decline in home sales. Despite these challenges, forecasts suggest a potential recovery in the coming years. How much does it cost to buy a house in the U.S.? In 2023, the median sales price of an existing single-family home reached a record high of over ******* U.S. dollars. Newly built homes were even pricier, despite a slight decline in the median sales price in 2023. Naturally, home prices continue to vary significantly across the country, with West Virginia being the most affordable state for homebuyers.

Graph and download economic data for Average Price: Gasoline, All Types (Cost per Gallon/3.785 Liters) in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (CBSA) (APUS11A7471A) from Jan 1978 to Jun 2025 about Boston, NH, MA, energy, gas, urban, retail, price, and USA.

Find in-season and off-season pricing for heating fuels, including heating oil, propane and wood price surveys by DOER. Links to electric and natural gas rates also available here.

New York was the most expensive U.S. city for business travelers in the last quarter of 2024, with the daily cost of accommodation, food, and car hire totaling *** U.S. dollars. In the second place was Boston, where business tourists spent around *** U.S. dollars each day on average.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Suffolk County, MA (MWACL25025) from 2009 to 2023 about Suffolk County, MA; Boston; adjusted; MA; average; wages; real; and USA.

There are many factors that make a city a "science city": human capital, flow of capital investment into health and R&D, openness to business, good lifestyle indicators, and property market. According to the source, London, New York, and Boston are the three leading cities for life sciences worldwide as of 2020. These cities have the highest rental costs per square foot of life science space. In London, a square foot of lab space cost *** U.S. dollars as of 2020. In 2021, life sciences is one of the sectors with highest investment properties in Europe according to industry experts.

This statistic shows the most expensive cities for Airbnb accommodation worldwide as of December 2014. According to the GoEuro Accommodation Price Index, Boston in the United States was the most expensive city with an average cost of 274 U.S. dollars per night.

Watching your favorite baseball team live in the stadium can be expensive business, with ticket prices in the league ranging from 209 U.S. dollars for the Los Angeles Dodgers to 69 U.S. dollars for the Miami Marlins.

An expensive day out The cost of a trip to the ball game does not stop at just the price of a ticket. When considering additional costs such as parking, concessions, and merchandise, consumer spending can easily reach hundreds of U.S. dollars. The most expensive day out in the league in 2023 was at the Boston Red Sox, where the cost of taking a family to the game was estimated at over 396 U.S. dollars. At the other end of the scale, a family could enjoy a day out watching the Arizona Diamondbacks for around 170 U.S. dollars. Given that there are 162 games in the regular baseball season, following an MLB team can certainly be expensive business.

Baseball fans still come in their thousands However, regular season home attendance at MLB games has still remained high in recent years. Despite experiencing a dip in 2021 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, a total of over two millions fans still passed through the gates every year, equating to an average per game attendance of over 26 thousand fans in 2022. The Los Angeles Dodgers welcomed the most people to Dodger Stadium across the 2022 season, with around 3.86 million people attending their home games throughout the season.

Graph and download economic data for Average Price: Pork Shoulder Roast, Blade Boston, Bone-In (Cost per Pound/453.6 Grams) in the Midwest Census Region - Urban (APU0200704411) from Jan 1980 to Dec 1981 about meat, retail, price, and USA.

As of October 2024, the city with the most expensive hotel rate in the United States was Boston. Visitors to the East Coast city could expect to pay 320 U.S. dollars for a doube room during that period. Meanwhile, New York ranked third with an average rate of 284 U.S. dollars.