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.

The cost of living is spiraling. Prices are going up, household expenses are rising, and the U.S. inflation rate reached a 40-year record high in 2023. Many consumers are looking for new ways to deal with this situation and refer to social media for support. So, which social media platforms have the most helpful content to deal with the current cost of living crisis in the U.S.? According to an exclusive survey by We Are Social and Statista Q, around 61 percent of TikTok users in the United States find helpful content there. Coming on number second is YouTube, as 56 percent of YouTube users find life hacks, tricks, money saving tips and other suitable advice to deal with inflation in 2023.

In 2023, Thailand had a cost of living index score of ****, indicating a slight decrease compared to the previous year. In the Asia Pacific region, Seoul, the capital city of South Korea, had the highest cost of living index in that year.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Lake County, OH (MWACL39085) from 2009 to 2023 about Lake County, OH; Cleveland; adjusted; OH; average; wages; real; and USA.

This dataset provides insights into the cost of living and average monthly income across various countries and regions worldwide from 2000 to 2023. It includes critical economic indicators such as housing costs, taxes, healthcare, education, transportation expenses, and savings rates. The data is ideal for analyzing economic trends, regional comparisons, and financial planning.

Column Descriptions: Country: The name of the country where the data was recorded. Region: The geographical region to which the country belongs (e.g., Asia, Europe). Year: The year when the data was recorded. Average_Monthly_Income: The average monthly income of individuals in USD. Cost_of_Living: The average monthly cost of living in USD, including essentials like housing, food, and utilities. Housing_Cost_Percentage: The percentage of income spent on housing expenses. Tax_Rate: The average tax rate applied to individuals' income, expressed as a percentage. Savings_Percentage: The portion of income saved monthly, expressed as a percentage. Healthcare_Cost_Percentage: The percentage of income spent on healthcare services. Education_Cost_Percentage: The percentage of income allocated to educational expenses. Transportation_Cost_Percentage: The percentage of income spent on transportation costs.

Budget Direct's in-depth analysis of the latest statistics and survey responses on Australian attitudes to cost of living increases.

Find out how Australians feel about the increasing cost of living in our latest survey, as well as the latest data from the Cost of Living Index in 2024.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for York County, ME (MWACL23031) from 2009 to 2023 about York County, ME; Portland; ME; adjusted; average; wages; real; and USA.

A rapid and unexpected increase in global prices lead to an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis in 2022/23, affecting pupils and their schools who are often the first-line of support for families. This project gathered evidence around the overarching scale of challenges in schools in England, how these varied across settings and groups of pupils, and what steps schools took to mitigate the impacts of the crisis. It drew on nationally representative surveys of teachers and senior leaders in mainstream and special schools, to provide insights into the overarching impact of the cost-of-living crisis on pupils, how day-to-day provision in schools has been affected and the support which schools are providing.A rapid and unexpected increase in global prices in 2021 and 2022 lead to an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis in 2022/23, affecting pupils and their schools who are often the first-line of support for families. This project gathered evidence around the overarching scale of challenges in schools in England, how these varied across settings and groups of pupils, and what steps schools took to mitigate the impacts of the crisis. It drew on nationally representative surveys of teachers and senior leaders in mainstream and special schools, to provide insights into the overarching impact of the cost-of-living crisis on pupils, how day-to-day provision in schools has been affected and the support which schools are providing. Primary data collection was via a survey of school senior leaders , and a separate survey of school classroom leaders. NFER’s Teacher Voice Omnibus Survey was used to send survey links out. This was complemented by sending the survey links via email to target schools not in the Teacher Voice sample and special schools. Further, the survey link was shared within known where appropriate to maximise response rates. The data collected was matched to the Department for Education’s Get Information About Schools and School Performance Data, to enable analysis by factors such as school type, size, SEND representation, geographic location, disadvantage, school attainment outcomes, types of young person needs catered for (for special schools) and Ofsted judgment.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Davidson County, TN (MWACL47037) from 2009 to 2023 about Davidson County, TN; Nashville; adjusted; TN; average; wages; real; and USA.

According to an April 2023 survey by We Are Social and Statista Q, 40 percent of U.S. consumers feel highly affected by the ongoing cost of living crisis, whereas only 6 percent don't feel affected at all.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Denver County, CO (MWACL08031) from 2009 to 2023 about Denver County, CO; Denver; adjusted; CO; average; wages; real; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Utah County, UT (MWACL49049) from 2009 to 2023 about Utah County, UT; Provo; UT; adjusted; average; wages; real; and USA.

Around 64 percent of U.S. consumers spend less on non-essentials amidst the ongoing cost of living crisis in 2023. This is according to a survey conducted by We are Social and Statista Q, which shows that rising inflation rates have caused around a similar percentage of customers to pay more attention to bargains, good deals, or offers (when going shopping). Furthermore, around 39 percent of U.S. consumers do not go out for dinner/lunch anymore to deal with the situation.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for St. Tammany Parish, LA (MWACL22103) from 2009 to 2023 about St. Tammany Parish, LA; New Orleans; LA; adjusted; average; wages; real; and USA.

CPI: Cost of Living Index: São Paulo: São Paulo data was reported at 0.470 % in Mar 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.490 % for Feb 2025. CPI: Cost of Living Index: São Paulo: São Paulo data is updated monthly, averaging 0.250 % from Jul 2023 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.260 % in Jan 2025 and a record low of -0.300 % in Aug 2023. CPI: Cost of Living Index: São Paulo: São Paulo data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Trade Union Statistical Department. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Brazil – Table BR.IB058: Consumer Price Index: Cost of Living Index.

Background:
A household food consumption and expenditure survey has been conducted each year in Great Britain (excluding Northern Ireland) since 1940. At that time the National Food Survey (NFS) covered a sample drawn solely from urban working-class households, but this was extended to a fully demographically representative sample in 1950. From 1957 onwards the Family Expenditure Survey (FES) provided information on all household expenditure patterns including food expenditure, with the NFS providing more detailed information on food consumption and expenditure. The NFS was extended to cover Northern Ireland from 1996 onwards. In April 2001 these surveys were combined to form the Expenditure and Food Survey (EFS), which completely replaced both series. From January 2008, the EFS became known as the Living Costs and Food (LCF) module of the Integrated Household Survey (IHS). As a consequence of this change, the questionnaire was altered to accommodate the insertion of a core set of questions, common to all of the separate modules which together comprised the IHS. Some of these core questions are simply questions which were previously asked in the same or a similar format on all of the IHS component surveys. For further information on the LCF questionnaire, see Volume A of the LCF 2008 User Guide, held with SN 6385. Further information about the LCF, including links to published reports based on the survey, may be found by searching for 'Living Costs and Food Survey' on the ONS website. Further information on the NFS and Living Costs and Food Module of the IHS can be found by searching for 'Family Food' on the GOV.UK website.

History:
The LCF (then EFS) was the result of more than two years' development work to bring together the FES and NFS; both survey series were well-established and important sources of information for government and the wider community, and had charted changes and patterns in spending and food consumption since the 1950s. Whilst the NFS and FES series are now finished, users should note that previous data from both series are still available from the UK Data Archive, under GNs 33071 (NFS) and 33057 (FES).

Purpose of the LCF
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has overall project management and financial responsibility for the LCF, while the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) sponsors the food data element. As with the FES and NFS, the LCF continues to be primarily used to provide information for the Retail Prices Index, National Accounts estimates of household expenditure, analysis of the effect of taxes and benefits, and trends in nutrition. The results are multi-purpose, however, providing an invaluable supply of economic and social data. The merger of the two surveys also brings benefits for users, as a single survey on food expenditure removes the difficulties of reconciling data from two sources. Design and methodology The design of the LCF is based on the old FES, although the use of new processing software by the data creators has resulted in a dataset which differs from the previous structure. The most significant change in terms of reporting expenditure, however, is the introduction of the European Standard Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose (COICOP), in place of the codes previously used. An additional level of hierarchy has been developed to improve the mapping to the previous codes. The LCF was conducted on a financial year basis from 2001, then moved to a calendar year basis from January 2006 (to complement the IHS) until 2015-16, when the financial year survey was reinstated at the request of users. Therefore, whilst SN 5688 covers April 2005 - March 2006, SN 5986 covers January-December 2006. Subsequent years cover January-December until 2014. SN 8210 returns to the financial year survey and currently covers April 2015 - March 2016.

Northern Ireland sample
Users should note that, due to funding constraints, from January 2010 the Northern Ireland (NI) sample used for the LCF was reduced to a sample proportionate to the NI population relative to the UK.

Family Food database:
'Family Food' is an annual publication which provides detailed statistical information on purchased quantities, expenditure and nutrient intakes derived from both household and eating out food and drink. Data is collected for a sample of households in the United Kingdom using self-reported diaries of all purchases, including food eaten out, over a two week period. Where possible quantities are recorded in the diaries but otherwise estimated. Energy and nutrient intakes are calculated using standard nutrient composition data for each of some 500 types of food. Current estimates are based on data collected in the Family Food Module of the LCFS. Further information about the LCF food databases can be found on the GOV.UK Family Food Statistics web pages.

Secure Access version
A Secure Access version of the LCF from 2006 onwards is available from the UK Data Archive under SN 7047, subject to stringent access conditions. The Secure Access version includes variables that are not included in the standard End User Licence (EUL) version, including geographical variables with detail below Government Office Region, to postcode level; urban/rural area indicators; other sensitive variables; raw diary information files (derived variables are available in the EUL) and the family expenditure codes files. Users are strongly advised to check whether the EUL version is sufficient for their needs before considering an application for the Secure Access version.

Occupation data for 2021 and 2022 data files
The ONS have identified an issue with the collection of some occupational data in 2021 and 2022 data files in a number of their surveys. While they estimate any impacts will be small overall, this will affect the accuracy of the breakdowns of some detailed (four-digit Standard Occupational Classification (SOC)) occupations, and data derived from them. None of ONS' headline statistics, other than those directly sourced from occupational data, are affected and you can continue to rely on their accuracy. For further information on this issue, please see: https://www.ons.gov.uk/news/statementsandletters/occupationaldatainonssurveys.

Latest edition information

For the fourth edition (July 2025), an updated version of the DEFRA Family Food database has been added to the study. Tables covering a065p (Age of HRP by range - anonymised), a069p (Type of household - Anonymised) and a094 (NS-SEC 12 Class of HRP) have been added, and the variable EqIncDOp (Equivalised income (OECD Scale) - anonymised) has been added to the EFShousehold table. A guide to the additional variables has been added to the documentation.

Russia Living Cost: Average per Month: Annual data was reported at 14,375.000 RUB in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 12,654.000 RUB for 2022. Russia Living Cost: Average per Month: Annual data is updated yearly, averaging 12,654.000 RUB from Dec 2021 (Median) to 2023, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 14,375.000 RUB in 2023 and a record low of 11,653.000 RUB in 2021. Russia Living Cost: Average per Month: Annual data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal State Statistics Service. The data is categorized under Russia Premium Database’s Household Survey – Table RU.HF001: Living Cost.