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Ranked: U.S. Cities With the Highest Cost of Living
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Key Takeaways
- New York City is the most expensive place to live in America.
- Ranking in second is San Francisco, where prices are about 15% cheaper than in the Big Apple.
The cost of living can vary dramatically in America, and for people relocating or comparing expenses, these differences matter.
This infographic ranks the top 20 U.S. cities with the highest cost of living in 2025, based on data from Numbeo.
New York City Sets the Benchmark
How do living costs actually compare across America?
With New York City as the baseline (index = 100), the table below show how expensive major cities are relative to the nation’s priciest metro. It ranks U.S. cities based on the average prices for groceries, transportation, dining, utilities, and rent as of mid-year 2025.
| Rank | City | Cost of Living Plus Rent Index |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | 100 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | 85.3 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | 81.2 |
| 4 | San Jose, CA | 80.4 |
| 5 | Honolulu, HI | 78.5 |
| 6 | Washington, DC | 78.1 |
| 7 | Seattle, WA | 75.1 |
| 8 | San Diego, CA | 73.5 |
| 9 | Miami, FL | 71.7 |
| 10 | Los Angeles, CA | 70.6 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | 64.6 |
| 12 | Sacramento, CA | 63.2 |
| 13 | Denver, CO | 62.4 |
| 14 | Nashville, TN | 60.4 |
| 15 | Philadelphia, PA | 59.6 |
| 16 | Portland, OR | 59.5 |
| 17 | Tampa, FL | 59.2 |
| 18 | Charlotte, NC | 57.8 |
| 19 | New Orleans, LA | 57.7 |
| 20 | Dallas, TX | 57.5 |
New York City tops the list, home to the highest number of millionaires in the world.
The city is often used as a global cost-of-living benchmark due to its high concentration of amenities, wages, and housing demand. For perspective, renting a one-bedroom in central New York City costs an average of $4,107 in 2025. Meanwhile, average living expenses for a single person add another $1,700 monthly.
San Francisco ranks second at 85.3, driven by tech-sector wages and high housing demand. San Jose (80.4) and San Diego (73.5) also reflect the premium cost of living near Silicon Valley and along the Pacific coast.
By contrast, Dallas and New Orleans offer significantly lower living costs, with daily expenses more than 40% lower than in New York City.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
If you enjoyed today’s post, check out the graphic on the cost of the American dream on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.