The Real Cost of Living in the United States 2024

Living in the US is not cheap, especially if you're an immigrant and watching your spending.

The cost of basically everything - from a roof over your head to putting food on your plate - can vary wildly based on whereabouts in this vast country you're planted.

We're talking price swings of hundreds, even thousands of dollars for the same things depending on if you're chillin' in rural Alabama or hustling in downtown Manhattan.

Cost of Living in the United States

Basic Living Expenses

These are the big‑ticket essentials you gotta cover no matter what:

1. Housing

A one-bedroom rental is likely your biggest monthly expense as a single person. Nationwide, you'll pay around $1,500 per month on average for those humble digs. But zoom in closer and the prices get real wild.

In high-cost areas like San Francisco, be ready to get bent over - the average one-bed there runs a staggering $3,000 per month! Even in relatively cheaper metropolitan areas like Phoenix, Arizona, you're still looking at $1,400 on average.

On the low end, my single money-mindful friends, you can find one-bedrooms for only $500-$700 per month in uber low-cost states like Arkansas or West Virginia if you don't mind leaning more rural.

Generally, housing costs include:

• Monthly rent for 900 sq.ft. furnished accommodation in expensive area: $2,918
• Monthly rent for 900 sq.ft. furnished accommodation in normal area: $2,231
• Utilities (heating, electricity, gas) for 2 people in 900 sq.ft. flat: $214
• Monthly rent for 480 sq.ft. furnished studio in expensive area: $2,044
• Monthly rent for 480 sq.ft. furnished studio in normal area: $1,534
• Utilities for 1 person in 480 sq.ft. studio: $142

Other additional housing costs which may vary includes:

• Internet 8 Mbps (monthly): $62
• 40" flat screen TV: $291
• 800/900W microwave (Bosch, Panasonic, LG, etc): $143
• 3L (100 oz) laundry detergent: $15
• Hourly rate for cleaning help: $30

Cost of living factors that jack up rental rates? Major metropolitan areas, hot job markets, low rental vacancy rates, higher income levels, and straight-up housing shortages in desirable areas.

2. Utilities

PlayStation ain't running on sunshine and fantasies - gotta pay to keep the lights on, shower hot, and stream those shows. Utilities like electricity, gas, water and internet in a modest one-bedroom place nationwide will run you around $200-$300 per month all-in.

In high cost-of-living areas though, be ready for those bills to jump. Like in Hawaii, the most expensive state for utilities, you could pay over $400 easily for basics. But go somewhere low-cost like Idaho and you might only shell out $150 monthly to keep things running.

What drives up utility costs? Factors like demand, delivery costs, climate needs (helloooo AC bills), and local taxes/fees.

3. Groceries

Red Baron pizza ain't cutting it every night - a reasonably healthy food budget is a must to survive. For a single person's grocery haul, you're looking at around $300 per month on average across the US. Not too bad, right?

Hold up - in a pricey state like Hawaii where basically all food is imported, that bill could skyrocket to $500+. But grocery game gets easier in affordable Arkansas, where $250 can get you fed just fine.

I've got some solid information on cost on food below:

• Basic lunch menu (including a drink) in business district: $20
• Combo meal at fast food restaurant: $11
• 1 lb (500g) of boneless chicken breast: $5.49
• 1 quart (1 liter) of whole milk: $1.05
• 12 large eggs: $4.29
• 1 kg (2 lb) of tomatoes: $4.47
• 500g (16 oz) of local cheese: $7
• 1 kg (2 lb) of apples: $4.06
• 1 kg (2 lb) of potatoes: $2.10
• 16 oz (0.5L) domestic beer at supermarket: $3.41
• 1 bottle of good quality red table wine: $16
• 2 liters of Coca-Cola: $2.90
• Bread for 2 people for 1 day: $2.66

What impacts grocery costs? Overall cost of living, distance from food sources/transportation costs, prevalence of higher-priced organic/specialty grocery stores, and state taxes on food items.

4. Transportation

Getting from A to B-roke is another unavoidable cost, especially if you need a vehicle.

With gas, insurance, maintenance and payments factored in, the average monthly driving costs for Americans is around $700 for car owners.

Live in an expensive driving city like Los Angeles though and that can easily top $900 per month with their clogged roads, high insurance rates and pricey gas. Cruising in Mississippi on the other hand and you might only spend like $550 monthly to keep your wheels turning.

Obvious cost factors here are gas prices, insurance rates based on location, road taxes, parking costs in cities, and how much you drive overall. Living in a walkable area with good public transit is a must to ditch the driving budget.

For transportation:

• New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI, no extras: $28,470
• 1 gallon (3.8L) of gasoline: $3.72 ($0.98/liter)
• Monthly public transit pass: $75

You're right, my previous response didn't cover the clothing section in detail. Let me break that down for you:

5. Clothing

Clothing can get really expensive, especially for high-end brands or specialty items. But those prices give you a decent benchmark for budgeting basic clothes shopping.

The costs tend to be higher in major cities and wealthy areas. But you can definitely find more affordable options at discount retailers or by shopping sales if you're on a tight budget.

Brand names, materials, and overall demand impact clothing prices a lot. Designer jeans could easily be $100+, while a basic pair from a low-cost store may only be $20-30.

• A pair of jeans like Levi's 501 or a similar brand will cost around $56 on average in the US.
• For a summer dress from popular stores like Zara, H&M or similar retailers, you're looking at paying about $53.
• Branded sports shoes from Nike, Adidas or an equivalent brand typically go for $98 a pair.
• If you need men's leather business shoes for dressier occasions, the average cost is $131 per pair.

6. Healthcare

Even with health insurance, medical costs can wreck you in the US if you're not careful. A single person can pay $500 or more per month just for a standard individual health insurance plan premium.

And that's before ANY actual doctoring happens - meet your deductible first before insurance kicks in, which can be thousands more. High prescription costs, dental/vision not covered, and out-of-network charges all add up fast too.

Overall healthcare costs are highest in expensive urban areas -you're paying more for access but also higher costs pass through. Consider a high-deductible plan to keep premiums lower if you're generally healthy.

Your personal care costs samples:

• Cold/flu medicine for 6 days (Tylenol, etc): $9
• 1 box of antibiotics (12 doses): $20
• Short 15-min visit to private doctor: $138
• 32 pack of tampons (Tampax, OB, etc): $9
• 50ml (1.5 oz) roll-on deodorant: $4.85
• 400ml (12 oz) 2-in-1 hair shampoo: $6
• 4 rolls of toilet paper: $4.83
• Toothpaste tube: $2.30
• Standard men's haircut in expat area: $29

7. Entertainment/Leisure

All work and no play makes you a dull budget-minded boy/girl. Gotta leave room for some fun funds if you wanna live a little!

Eating out frugally could still be $50-$100 per month if you hit cheaper chains and diners. Streaming services and a cellphone plan for data/music will be at least $100 more. Gym memberships around $50.

And if you want to splurge occasionally for concerts, sports games, bars, etc? A random big weekend in LA could easily demolish $300+ from your fun fund just like that.

The average cost of all these are:

• Basic dinner for 2 at neighborhood pub: $58
• 2 movie tickets: $29
• 2 theater tickets (best seats): $211
• Dinner for 2 at Italian restaurant with appetizers, main, wine & dessert: $98
• 1 cocktail drink at downtown club: $15
• Cappuccino in expat area: $5.60
• 1 pint (500ml) beer at neighborhood pub: $7
• iPad WiFi 128GB: $506
• 1 minute of prepaid mobile tariff (no plan): $0.40
• 1 month gym membership in business district: $64
• Pack of Marlboro cigarettes: $10

Entertainment costs wildly from city to city based on number of attractions, popularity/demand, and your ability to find free/cheap options.

8. Education

Pursuing higher education is one of the most expensive line items for Americans, especially if you're a single person footing the whole bill yourself.

Just look at the averages for a bachelor's degree: in-state students at public 4-years pay around $10,000 per year. Out-of-state it jumps to over $26,000 annually.

And private 4-year universities? We're talking $35,000+ per freaking year in many cases.
Those costs can fluctuate tremendously based on the school's prestige, local cost of living for room/board, demand for enrollment, and residential status.

Get ready to take on major debt or have a very flexible definition of "ramen life."

Top 10 Most Expensive and Cheapest States in US

After looking at all those costly line items, it should be clear that where you live makes a massive difference in your overall living costs.

Here's a quick look at the most expensive and most affordable states:

Top 10 Most Expensive:

1. Hawaii
2. California
3. Massachusetts
4. New York
5. Alaska
6. Maryland
7. Colorado
8. Oregon
9. New Jersey
10. New Hampshire

Top 10 Cheapest:

1. Mississippi
2. Arkansas
3. Oklahoma
4. New Mexico
5. Kansas
6. Missouri
7. Alabama
8. Indiana
9. Kentucky
10. Tennessee

In pretty much every spending category we discussed, you'll find the highest costs in states like Hawaii, California, New York and Massachusetts - largely driven by housing costs, high taxes, and wealthy metro areas.

The cheapest overall places tend to be more rural, lower income states in the South and Midwest where higher costs just haven't taken over yet and raw materials/resources are cheaper.

Tips for Single Budgeters

Living frugally solo in the US ain't easy, but here are some tips that could help:

1. Location, Location, Relocation. You get it now - where you live is pretty much the biggest factor in your cost of living. If you can swing it, consider lower-cost states or cities that still check your needs/want boxes. A middle-America city could save you thousands per year.

2. Take Public Transit When Possible. Ditch that car payment, insurance costs, and high gas spending by living somewhere walkable with good public transit access. Pay a bus pass instead of car payments!

3. House Hack or Get Roommates. Since housing is the fattest expense, consider ways to save by "house hacking" and renting out a room or getting roommates to split rental costs. Not ideal for privacy, but saves big bucks.

4. Meal Prep and Grocery Shop Smart. Eating out constantly will decimate your budget fast. Get good at basic cooking for yourself and grocery shop at cheaper chains like Aldi. The savings stack up rapidly.

5. Find Affordable Entertainment. Scope out your city's free events, check Groupon for activity discounts, use streaming over cable, workout outside instead of a gym, and follow cheap/frugal blogs to get creative with fun that fits your budget.

6. Consider Remote Work. If your job allows it, try negotiating a remote work setup so you can live in an ultra low-cost area without being geographically tethered to an expensive city.

There you have it - the real, uncut cost of living as a single person navigating life in the US while trying to mind those dollars and cents.

From housing to healthcare, every spending category has major price swings based on whereabouts you're planted.

The overarching key? You can do your homework and get granular about the specific costs in whatever area you're eyeing to live or visit.