How Much You’re Spending on Monthly and Annual Expenses in Every State
Did you know that Alaskans pay 83% more for utilities than Louisianans? That Hawaiians spend nearly five times as much as West Virginians for housing? Or that residents of California pay 43% more for healthcare than residents of Mississippi?
These wide deltas demonstrate how wildly monthly expenses can vary across the U.S. There are many reasons for this, not the least of which are higher demand for housing and higher costs to deliver goods for the more expensive locales.
Read Next: Toilet Paper to Discontinued Items: 7 Ways Shrinkflation Has Come to Costco
Try This: How To Get $340 Per Year in Cash Back on Gas and Other Things You Already Buy
A recent GOBankingRates study lays out the state-to-state discrepancies in more detail. The following alphabetical list — based on the GBR study — provides the overall cost-of-living index, the average monthly expenses and the average annual expenses for each U.S. state, plus the District of Columbia.
As you’re reviewing the overall cost-of-living index for each state, keep in mind that America as a whole represents the median with a score of 100. Th further below 100 state is scored, the cheaper the cost of living. The further above 100, the higher the cost of living.
And if you’re planning a move to a state like Hawaii, Massachusetts, Alaska or California, bring your wallet. Here are the average expenditures in all 50 states.
Alabama
Overall cost-of-living index: 88.3
Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,722
Average annual expenditure cost: $32,664
Be Aware: 7 Popular Clothing Brands the Middle Class Can’t Afford Anymore
Discover More: How Much Household Income Will Be Considered Upper Middle Class in 5 Years?
Sponsored: Credit card debt keeping you up at night? Find out if you can reduce your debt with these 3 steps
Alaska
Overall cost-of-living index: 125.2
Average monthly expenditure cost: $4,157
Average annual expenditure cost: $49,887
Find Out: A $150K Income Is ‘Lower Middle Class’ In These High-Cost Cities
Arizona
Overall cost-of-living index: 108.4
Average monthly expenditure cost: $3,507
Average annual expenditure cost: $42,083
Arkansas
Overall cost-of-living index: 89.0
Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,730
Average annual expenditure cost: $32,759
California
Overall cost-of-living index: 138.5
Average monthly expenditure cost: $4,766
Average annual expenditure cost: $57,195
Colorado
Overall cost-of-living index: 105.1
Average monthly expenditure cost: $3,388
Average annual expenditure cost: $40,652
For You: 7 Things the Middle Class Won’t Be Able To Afford in the Next 5 Years
Connecticut
Overall cost-of-living index: 112.8
Average monthly expenditure cost: $3,664
Average annual expenditure cost: $43,963
Delaware
Overall cost-of-living index: 101.1
Average monthly expenditure cost: $3,211
Average annual expenditure cost: $38,534
District of Columbia
Overall cost-of-living index: 146.8
Average monthly expenditure cost: $5,039
Average annual expenditure cost: $60,473
Florida
Overall cost-of-living index: 100.7
Average monthly expenditure cost: $3,255
Average annual expenditure cost: $39,065
Georgia
Overall cost-of-living index: 90.8
Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,848
Average annual expenditure cost: $34,180
Trending Now: 7 Ways the Upper Middle Class Can Become Rich in 2024
Hawaii
Overall cost-of-living index: 180.3
Average monthly expenditure cost: $6,402
Average annual expenditure cost: $76,828
Idaho
Overall cost-of-living index: 98.6
Average monthly expenditure cost: $3,142
Average annual expenditure cost: $37,706
Illinois
Overall cost-of-living index: 92.1
Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,908
Average annual expenditure cost: $34,893
Indiana
Overall cost-of-living index: 91.0
Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,891
Average annual expenditure cost: $ 34,694
Iowa
Overall cost-of-living index: 90.3
Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,854
Average annual expenditure cost: $34,242
Find Out: How Far a $100,000 Salary Goes in America’s 50 Largest Cities
Kansas
Overall cost-of-living index: 87.1
Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,753
Average annual expenditure cost: $33,031
Kentucky
Overall cost-of-living index: 92.0
Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,795
Average annual expenditure cost: $33,534
Louisiana
Overall cost-of-living index: 91.0
Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,874
Average annual expenditure cost: $34,486
Maine
Overall cost-of-living index: 109.9
Average monthly expenditure cost: $3,533
Average annual expenditure cost: $42,393
Maryland
Overall cost-of-living index: 116.5
Average monthly expenditure cost: $3,829
Average annual expenditure cost: $45,944
Learn More: What Income Level Is Considered Middle Class in Your State?
Massachusetts
Overall cost-of-living index: 146.5
Average monthly expenditure cost: $4,983
Average annual expenditure cost: $59,797
Michigan
Overall cost-of-living index: 90.6
Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,878
Average annual expenditure cost: $34,540
Minnesota
Overall cost-of-living index: 94.1
Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,993
Average annual expenditure cost: $35,911
Mississippi
Overall cost-of-living index: 86.3
Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,711
Average annual expenditure cost: $32,529
Up Next: 9 Bills Frugal People Don’t Pay
Missouri
Overall cost-of-living index: 88.5
Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,800
Average annual expenditure cost: $33,594
Montana
Overall cost-of-living index: 102.9
Average monthly expenditure cost: $3,289
Average annual expenditure cost: $39,468
Nebraska
Overall cost-of-living index: 90.9
Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,868
Average annual expenditure cost: $34,418
Nevada
Overall cost-of-living index: 101.0
Average monthly expenditure cost: $3,363
Average annual expenditure cost: $40,354
Up Next: I’m a Financial Advisor: 4 Moves I’ll Make If I Think Trump Will Win the Election
New Hampshire
Overall cost-of-living index: 114.1
Average monthly expenditure cost: $3,595
Average annual expenditure cost: $43,139
New Jersey
Overall cost-of-living index: 113.9
Average monthly expenditure cost: $3,721
Average annual expenditure cost: $44,649
New Mexico
Overall cost-of-living index: 94.0
Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,982
Average annual expenditure cost: $35,780
New York
Overall cost-of-living index: 125.9
Average monthly expenditure cost: $4,233
Average annual expenditure cost: $50,801
Good To Know: You Can Get These 3 Debts Canceled Forever
North Carolina
Overall cost-of-living index: 95.3
Average monthly expenditure cost: $3,056
Average annual expenditure cost: $36,674
North Dakota
Overall cost-of-living index: 94.6
Average monthly expenditure cost: $3,033
Average annual expenditure cost: $36,395
Ohio
Overall cost-of-living index: 94.7
Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,982
Average annual expenditure cost: $35,788
Oklahoma
Overall cost-of-living index: 86.2
Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,714
Average annual expenditure cost: $32,566
Trending Now: Top Money Moves for Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z
Oregon
Overall cost-of-living index: 114.7
Average monthly expenditure cost: $3,806
Average annual expenditure cost: $45,667
Pennsylvania
Overall cost-of-living index: 95.6
Average monthly expenditure cost: $3,025
Average annual expenditure cost: $36,299
Rhode Island
Overall cost-of-living index: 110.7
Average monthly expenditure cost: $3,479
Average annual expenditure cost: $41,753
South Carolina
Overall cost-of-living index: 95.3
Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,991
Average annual expenditure cost: $35,897
South Dakota
Overall cost-of-living index: 92.4
Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,966
Average annual expenditure cost: $35,594
Explore More: How Much Does the Average Middle-Class Person Have in Savings?
Tennessee
Overall cost-of-living index: 90.3
Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,834
Average annual expenditure cost: $34,007
Texas
Overall cost-of-living index: 92.7
Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,924
Average annual expenditure cost: $35,094
Utah
Overall cost-of-living index: 103.2
Average monthly expenditure cost: $3,308
Average annual expenditure cost: $39,700
Vermont
Overall cost-of-living index: 115.3
Average monthly expenditure cost: $3,792
Average annual expenditure cost: $45,500
Virginia
Overall cost-of-living index: 101.9
Average monthly expenditure cost: $3,284
Average annual expenditure cost: $39,406
Check Out: 8 Rare Coins Worth Millions That Are Highly Coveted by Coin Collectors
Washington
Overall cost-of-living index: 116.0
Average monthly expenditure cost: $3,822
Average annual expenditure cost: $45,863
West Virginia
Overall cost-of-living index: 87.7
Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,735
Average annual expenditure cost: $32,817
Wisconsin
Overall cost-of-living index: 95.1
Average monthly expenditure cost: $3,079
Average annual expenditure cost: $36,949
Wyoming
Overall cost-of-living index: 92.4
Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,903
Average annual expenditure cost: $34,834
Methodology: To determine the average monthly expenses (minus housing costs) for each state, GOBankingRates first sourced cost-of-living indexes from the Missouri Economic and Research Information Center for groceries, housing, healthcare, utilities, transportation and miscellaneous. GBR then calculated the average expenditure costs for each state, using the national average expenditure costs for each cost-of-living index for all consumers (sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey). The expenditures were added to determine the total annual and monthly cost of living for each state, minus housing. All data is up to date as of March 6, 2024.
More From GOBankingRates
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Much You’re Spending on Monthly and Annual Expenses in Every State
