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.

In 2025, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for medical professional services in the United States was at 432.46, compared to the period from 1982 to 1984 (=100). The CPI for hospital services was at 1,102.12.

The US Family Budget Dataset provides insights into the cost of living in different US counties based on the Family Budget Calculator by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI).

This dataset offers community-specific estimates for ten family types, including one or two adults with zero to four children, in all 1877 counties and metro areas across the United States.

Interesting Task Ideas:

1. See how family budgets compare to the federal poverty line and the Supplemental Poverty Measure in different counties.
2. Look into the money challenges faced by different types of families using the budgets provided.
3. Find out which counties have the most affordable places to live, food, transportation, healthcare, childcare, and other things people need.
4. Explore how the average income of families relates to the overall cost of living in different counties.
5. Investigate how family size affects the estimated budget and find counties where bigger families have higher costs.
6. Create visuals showing how the cost of living varies across different states and big cities.
7. Check whether specific counties are affordable for families of different sizes and types.
8. Use the dataset to compare living standards and economic security in different US counties.

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The average for 2021 based on 165 countries was 79.81 index points. The highest value was in Bermuda: 212.7 index points and the lowest value was in Syria: 33.25 index points. The indicator is available from 2017 to 2021. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

"Cost of living and purchasing power related to average income

We adjusted the average cost of living inside the USA (based on 2021 and 2022) to an index of 100. All other countries are related to this index. Therefore with an index of e.g. 80, the usual expenses in another country are 20% less then in the United States.

The monthly income (please do not confuse this with a wage or salary) is calculated from the gross national income per capita.

The calculated purchasing power index is again based on a value of 100 for the United States. If it is higher, people can afford more based on the cost of living in relation to income. If it is lower, the population is less wealthy.

The example of Switzerland: With a cost of living index of 142 all goods are on average about 42% more expensive than in the USA. But the average income in Switzerland of 7,550 USD is also 28% higher, which means that citizens can also afford more goods. Now you calculate the 42% higher costs against the 28% higher income. In the result, people in Switzerland can afford about 10 percent less than a US citizen."

Source: https://www.worlddata.info/cost-of-living.php

Cost of Living Index by Country, 2024 Mid Year data Data scraped from Numbeo: www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/rankings_by_country.jsp All credits to Numbeo: www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/

An index of 100 reflects the same living cost as in New York City, United States. As of 2024 Mid Year data, in NYC, A family of four estimated monthly costs are $6,074.40 without rent. A single person's estimated monthly costs are $1,640.90 without rent.

The Consumer Sentiment Index in the United States stood at 51 in November 2025. This reflected a drop of 2.6 point from the previous survey. Furthermore, this was its lowest level measured since June 2022. The index is normalized to a value of 100 in December 1964 and based on a monthly survey of consumers, conducted in the continental United States. It consists of about 50 core questions which cover consumers' assessments of their personal financial situation, their buying attitudes and overall economic conditions.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Lake County, IL (MWACL17097) from 2009 to 2023 about Lake County, IL; Chicago; adjusted; IL; average; wages; real; and USA.

Kazakhstan Cost of Living: Average per Capita data was reported at 28,620.000 KZT in Oct 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 28,690.000 KZT for Sep 2018. Kazakhstan Cost of Living: Average per Capita data is updated monthly, averaging 13,073.000 KZT from Oct 2000 (Median) to Oct 2018, with 217 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 29,146.000 KZT in Aug 2018 and a record low of 3,983.000 KZT in Oct 2000. Kazakhstan Cost of Living: Average per Capita data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by The Agency of Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Kazakhstan – Table KZ.H012: Cost of Living: Average per Capita.

Russia Living Cost: Average per Month data was reported at 10,213.000 RUB in Dec 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 10,451.000 RUB for Sep 2018. Russia Living Cost: Average per Month data is updated quarterly, averaging 3,050.000 RUB from Mar 1992 (Median) to Dec 2018, with 108 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10,451.000 RUB in Sep 2018 and a record low of 1.423 RUB in Jun 1992. Russia Living Cost: Average per Month 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.

Living Cost: Average per Month: FE: Chukotka Area data was reported at 23,999.000 RUB in Dec 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 23,860.000 RUB for Sep 2020. Living Cost: Average per Month: FE: Chukotka Area data is updated quarterly, averaging 11,724.000 RUB from Jun 2003 (Median) to Dec 2020, with 71 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 23,999.000 RUB in Dec 2020 and a record low of 5,744.000 RUB in Dec 2003. Living Cost: Average per Month: FE: Chukotka Area 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.

Zambia: Cost of living index, world average = 100: The latest value from 2021 is 45 index points, a decline from 63.6 index points in 2017. In comparison, the world average is 79.81 index points, based on data from 165 countries. Historically, the average for Zambia from 2017 to 2021 is 54.3 index points. The minimum value, 45 index points, was reached in 2021 while the maximum of 63.6 index points was recorded in 2017.

The average for 2021 based on 50 countries was 57.94 index points. The highest value was in Zimbabwe: 90.09 index points and the lowest value was in Egypt: 37.46 index points. The indicator is available from 2017 to 2021. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

This Cost of International Education dataset compiles detailed financial information for students pursuing higher education abroad. It covers multiple countries, cities, and universities around the world, capturing the full tuition and living expenses spectrum alongside key ancillary costs. With standardized fields such as tuition in USD, living-cost indices, rent, visa fees, insurance, and up-to-date exchange rates, it enables comparative analysis across programs, degree levels, and geographies. Whether you’re a prospective international student mapping out budgets, an educational consultant advising on affordability, or a researcher studying global education economics, this dataset offers a comprehensive foundation for data-driven insights.

Description

Potential Uses

• Budget Planning Prospective students can filter by country, program level, or university to forecast total expenses and compare across destinations.
• Policy Analysis Educational policymakers and NGOs can assess the affordability of international education and design support programs.
• Economic Research Economists can correlate living-cost indices and tuition levels with enrollment rates or student demographics.
• University Benchmarking Institutions can benchmark their fees and ancillary costs against peer universities worldwide.

Notes on Data Collection & Quality

• Currency Conversions All monetary values are unified to USD using contemporaneous exchange rates to facilitate direct comparison.
• Living Cost Index Derived from reputable city-index publications (e.g., Numbeo, Mercer) to standardize disparate cost-of-living metrics.
• Data Currency Exchange rates and fee schedules should be periodically updated to reflect market fluctuations and policy changes.

Feel free to explore, visualize, and extend this dataset for deeper insights into the true cost of studying abroad!

The average for 2021 based on 11 countries was 67.5 index points. The highest value was in Uruguay: 100.24 index points and the lowest value was in Suriname: 43.15 index points. The indicator is available from 2017 to 2021. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Living Cost: Average per Month: SF: Republic of Crimea data was reported at 11,074.000 RUB in Dec 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 10,945.000 RUB for Sep 2020. Living Cost: Average per Month: SF: Republic of Crimea data is updated quarterly, averaging 9,798.500 RUB from Sep 2014 (Median) to Dec 2020, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11,074.000 RUB in Dec 2020 and a record low of 5,786.000 RUB in Sep 2014. Living Cost: Average per Month: SF: Republic of Crimea 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.

Living Cost: Average per Month: SF: Republic of Kalmykia data was reported at 10,443.000 RUB in Dec 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 10,584.000 RUB for Sep 2020. Living Cost: Average per Month: SF: Republic of Kalmykia data is updated quarterly, averaging 5,341.000 RUB from Dec 2001 (Median) to Dec 2020, with 77 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10,631.000 RUB in Jun 2020 and a record low of 1,399.000 RUB in Dec 2001. Living Cost: Average per Month: SF: Republic of Kalmykia 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.

Living Cost: Average per Month: SB: Republic of Tyva data was reported at 10,674.000 RUB in Dec 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 11,494.000 RUB for Sep 2020. Living Cost: Average per Month: SB: Republic of Tyva data is updated quarterly, averaging 5,829.500 RUB from Mar 2001 (Median) to Dec 2020, with 80 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11,494.000 RUB in Sep 2020 and a record low of 1,682.000 RUB in Mar 2001. Living Cost: Average per Month: SB: Republic of Tyva 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.

Cost comparison table showing 2023 and 2024 median costs by location

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for New York County, NY (MWACL36061) from 2009 to 2023 about New York County, NY; adjusted; New York; average; NY; wages; real; and USA.