By Jacqueline DeMarco

(Last Updated – 04/2025)

New Hampshire offers residents close proximity to stunning nature, rich history, and culture. All of the perks of residing in New Hampshire may be why it’s one of the most expensive states to live in.

To better understand the New Hampshire cost of living and how your budget would be affected by a move to the Granite State, keep reading.

What’s the Average Cost of Living in New Hampshire?

Average Cost of Living in New Hampshire: $65,908 per year

If you’re considering relocating to this New England state, the cost of living could affect your monthly budget.

According to MERIC data gathered, New Hampshire has the 42nd lowest cost of living in the country. If New Hampshire exceeds your budget, don’t bank on finding an affordable nearby state to move to. All of the states around New Hampshire — Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York — are some of the most expensive in the country to live in.

So, what is the cost of living in New Hampshire? According to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the average total personal consumption cost in New Hampshire comes to $65,908 per year. Here’s where that spending is going, specifically.

That works out to $5,492 in average monthly expenses for each resident of the White Mountain State.

Housing Costs in New Hampshire

Average Housing Costs in New Hampshire: $1,082 to $1,980 per month

New Hampshire has only 653,069 housing units, according to the latest census estimates. The typical home value in New Hampshire runs about $480,212 in February 2025, Zillow noted.

Here’s what you can expect to spend monthly on housing in New Hampshire, per the most recent census data:

•  Median monthly mortgage cost: $2,305

•  Median studio rent: $1,082

•  Median one-bedroom rent: $1,193

•  Median two-bedroom rent: $1,670

•  Median three-bedroom rent: $1,811

•  Median four-bedroom rent: $1,980

•  Median gross rent: $1,517

How much the average home costs depends on where it is, of course. Let’s take a look at the typical home values for major New Hampshire cities, according to Zillow data as of February 2025.

Utility Costs in New Hampshire

Average Utility Costs in New Hampshire: $424 per month

What should you expect to spend on utilities monthly in New Hampshire? Here’s a breakdown of the average utility spending across major categories.

Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Sales, Revenue, and Average Price; Statista.com, “Average monthly residential utility costs in the United States, by state”; DoxoInsights, U.S. Cable & Internet Market Size and Household Spending Report; and Rentcafe.com, What Is the Average Water Bill?

Groceries & Food

Average Grocery & Food Costs in New Hampshire: $450 per person, per month

So you can budget accordingly, let’s take a closer look at how much you’d likely spend on food on average in New Hampshire. The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts the average annual food and beverage cost per person at $5,396, or about $450 a month.

The Council for Community and Economic Research ranks the food costs in major American cities. The only major New Hampshire city the council examined was Manchester. This is Manchester’s grocery costs ranking for 2024.

Transportation

Average Transportation Costs in New Hampshire: $10,861 to $20,210 per year

How many people you need to schlep to work, school, and recreation activities will affect how much you spend on transportation each year. To give you a better idea of what your family may spend on transportation in New Hampshire, here’s a breakdown of average spending, according to MIT’s Living Wage Calculator for 2025.

Health Care

Average Health Care Costs in New Hampshire: $9,886 per person, per year

How much you’d need to budget for health care in New Hampshire depends on medical needs and type of coverage. That said, the average annual per-person cost of health care in New Hampshire is $9,886, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis Personal Consumption Expenditures by State report.

Child Care

Average Child Care Costs in New Hampshire: $839 to $1,150 or more per child, per month

Parents know that child care is a major expense.

Those who meet certain income requirements and are working, searching for work, or participating in a training program might catch a break with child care scholarships.

This is what many parents can expect to spend on child care costs in New Hampshire, per data from CostofChildCare.org.

Taxes

Tax Rate in New Hampshire: No income tax

New Hampshire recently repealed its taxes on interest and dividend income and has no personal income taxes, says the Tax Foundation’s State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets for 2025. It has a 7.5% corporate income tax rate but no state sales tax, estate tax, or inheritance tax.

In fact, New Hampshire ranks 6th overall in the Tax Foundation’s 2025 State Tax Competitiveness Index.

Miscellaneous Costs

If personal expenditures in New Hampshire average $37,054 per person each year, some of that could be spent on fun. Here are a few ideas (costs are accurate as of March 2025):

•  Learn more about architecture and the work of Frank Lloyd Wright at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester: General admission is $20 (adults), $15 (students and seniors), $5 (teens 13-17), and is free for kids under 12 years old.

•  Get the kids’ imagination flowing in the city of Glen at Story Land, where fairytales come to life: Single-day tickets start at $39.99 with certain conditions.

•  Enjoy some time high above nature with a round-trip ride on America’s first aerial tramway at Cannon Mountain in Franconia. Tickets start at $25 (all riders over the age of 5).

•  Grab a fresh apple cider donut and some apples (in season) right from the orchard at Meadow Ledge Farm in Loudon. A 6-pack of donuts is $6.50.

•  Interested in seeing some beautiful fall foliage? The Kancamagus Highway from Lincoln to Conway is 34.5 miles of scenery with hiking trails and more to do along the drive. It’s free to drive, but parking at one of the trailheads is $5 per vehicle per day.

How Much Money Do You Need to Live Comfortably in New Hampshire?

Your family size, lifestyle, and other factors will influence how accessible a comfortable style of living is in New Hampshire, but let’s just say that comfort will come at a price.

New Hampshire ranks 44th on U.S. News & World Report’s Affordability Rankings, which measures the average cost of living in a given state against the average amount of money that state’s households have.

MERIC’s ranking agrees: It found that New Hampshire has the 42nd lowest cost of living (or 9th highest) in the country among the 50 states and Washington, D.C.

What City Has the Lowest Cost of Living in New Hampshire?

The Council for Community and Economic Research singled out Manchester as the only New Hampshire city for which they collected cost-of-living data.

By Jacqueline DeMarco

(Last Updated – 04/2025)

Alaska is a truly stunning place to live. Tourists travel from around the world to take in the natural splendor of the state. As amazing as those views are, many aren’t up for the challenges that come with living in Alaska.

One perk to help outweigh those challenges is the Permanent Fund Dividend program, which provides an annual dividend from investment earnings of mineral royalties to Alaska residents. In 2024, the dividend amount was $1,702. Not bad if you’re considering a move to the Last Frontier. Whether or not that dividend is enough to make up for the Alaska cost of living is another story.

So how much does it cost to live in Alaska? Keep reading to find out.

What’s the Average Cost of Living in Alaska?

Average Cost of Living in Alaska: $62,900 per year

Tighten up your monthly budget if you have your heart set on moving to Alaska. Data gathered by MERIC ranked Alaska as the state with the fifth highest cost of living. (Hawaii had the highest cost of living in the whole country.) To put a number on it, the average total personal consumption cost in Alaska is $62,900 per year, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Here’s how that spending breaks down.

Housing Costs in Alaska

Average Housing Costs in Alaska: $921 to $2,198 per month

Housing doesn’t come cheap in Alaska. The average home value in the state was $368,985 in February 2025, Zillow reported. That is comparable with $357,138, the average home value for all housing types in the U.S. that month, according to Zillow.

You won’t have many neighbors wherever you end up living in Alaska, as the population estimate is just 740,133, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data available.

Here’s what housing looks like monthly, per census data:

•   Median monthly mortgage cost: $2,192

•   Median studio rent: $921

•   Median one-bedroom rent: $1,094

•   Median two-bedroom rent: $1,439

•   Median three-bedroom rent: $1,746

•   Median four-bedroom rent: $2,198

•   Median gross rent: $1,373

How much you’ll spend to live in Alaska will vary based on your specific location. These are the typical home values for major Alaska cities, from lowest to highest, according to Zillow in February 2025.

Utility Costs in Alaska

Average Utility Costs in Alaska: $516 per month

No matter where you live, you’ll need to have some room in your monthly budget to cover utility costs. Here’s what you can expect to spend in Alaska on a monthly basis.

Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Sales, Revenue, and Average Price; Statista.com, “Average monthly residential utility costs in the United States, by state”; DoxoInsights, U.S. Cable & Internet Market Size and Household Spending Report; and Rentcafe.com, What Is the Average Water Bill?

Groceries & Food

Average Grocery & Food Costs in Alaska: $400 per person, per month

If you really want to nail down your budget before you decide to make a move, it can help to get an idea of how much you’ll spend on food in Alaska.

As noted earlier, the Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates the average annual food cost per person to be $4,798, which equates to about $400 per person, per month. A family of four can expect to spend $1,600 a month on food, although children usually eat less, and appetites vary.

Because the specific area of Alaska you live in can affect food costs, let’s examine the Council for Community and Economic Research’s rankings for the food costs in major Alaska cities. The following rankings represent grocery costs, from lowest to highest.

Transportation

Average Transportation Costs in Alaska: $11,609 to $21,603 per year

Whether it’s commuting to work or schlepping your child to snowboarding, you’ve gotta get around. The specific transportation costs you’ll incur depend on how many adults and children are in your family, and how many of the adults are working — but here’s a basic breakdown, according to the most recent data from MIT’s Living Wage Calculator.

Health Care

Average Health Care Costs in Alaska: $13,015 per person, per year

The average annual per-capita cost of health care in Alaska is $13,015, according to the most recent Bureau of Economic Analysis Personal Consumption Expenditures by State report.

How much you will really end up spending depends on the type of coverage you have that year, your specific health care needs, and more.

Child Care

Average Child Care Costs in Alaska: $906 to $1,442 or more per child, per month

What you’ll spend on child care each month will greatly depend on how many children you have, what type of child care you choose, and where you live. In Alaska, it’s cheaper to choose home-based child care, whether you have infants or toddlers.

To learn more about how to obtain child care assistance for covering the costs of early childhood education, go to ChildCare.gov for resources you may find helpful.

This is what the average child care costs in Alaska, per the most recent data from CostofChildCare.org.

Taxes

Highest Marginal Tax Rate in Alaska: None

While residents of all states have to pay federal income tax, of course, Alaskans are off the hook when it comes to state income tax, as noted by the Tax Foundation’s State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets.

Other states that don’t charge state income tax are Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming. The state of Washington also has no income tax, but does charge a capital gains tax on income of high-earning individuals. If you’re hoping to avoid a big bill come tax season, maybe a move to one of these states will ease your burden.

Miscellaneous Costs

Now that we’ve chatted about all of the necessary expenses you’ll encounter while living in Alaska, let’s look at some more exciting costs.

If the average Alaskan spends $34,904 a year on personal expenditures, where’s all that money going? Here’s a few potential places they’re spending on fun activities (costs are accurate as of March 2025):

•  Tickets to H2Oasis water park in Anchorage: $29.99 for anyone 13 and older, and $24.99 for kids 3 to 12.

•  The individual entrance fee to Denali National Park is $15 and good for seven days, or you can spend $45 on an annual pass that admits four adults for the year.

•  Tickets to the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage: $25 (nonresident adult, 16 and older) or $18 for an Alaska resident adult with state ID.

•  See the northern lights (aka the aurora borealis) if you time it right: Free. Or splurge on an all-inclusive wilderness lodge on Iniakuk Lake (about 200 miles north of Fairbanks) for 3-5 nights. Prices start at $9,895 per person.

•  A jug of Alaska wild-harvested birch syrup collected in the spring: $19.95 for 3.4 oz. from Kahiltna Birchworks

Of course, if you’re looking for a free activity, there are tons of great hiking, boating, and exploring opportunities in Alaska.

Recommended: The Average Monthly Expenses for One Person

How Much Money Do You Need to Live Comfortably in Alaska?

What it means to live comfortably will vary from person to person. Your family size, lifestyle choices, and other factors can affect how accessible a comfortable style of living is. Location also plays a role.

With that in mind, it’s worth noting that Alaska is considered to be one of the least affordable places to live in the United States. According to U.S. News & World Report’s Affordability Rankings, Alaska is the fifth least affordable state to live in.

That report measures the average cost of living in a given state against the average amount of money most households have. The low ranking isn’t much of a surprise, as the most recent MERIC data ranked Alaska as the state with the fifth highest cost of living.

What City Has the Lowest Cost of Living in Alaska?

As you’ve seen, living in Alaska can cost a pretty penny. Let’s take a closer look at the three major Alaska cities with the lowest cost of living, according to the Council for Community and Economic Research’s Cost of Living Index.

By Jacqueline DeMarco

(Last Updated – 03/2025)

Get ready to enjoy blue skies if you make your way to Arizona. The Grand Canyon State has an average of 286 sunny days a year, which is a lot more than the national average of 205.

That means you can hit the trails in Saguaro National Park without having to worry about too much rain. There are also plenty of big cities with flourishing housing markets, such as the Phoenix housing market and the Tucson housing market in Arizona.

If sunshine isn’t enough to sway you, read on for a better idea of what the Arizona cost of living is like so you can see if a move to the state will keep your budget happy and healthy.

What’s the Average Cost of Living in Arizona?

Average Cost of Living in Arizona: $53,921 per year

It turns out that living in Arizona may put a significant dent in your monthly budget.

Arizona ranks 37th when it comes to which states have the lowest cost of living, according to MERIC’s 2024 Cost of Living Index . If you’re looking to move to the Southwest, New Mexico is a much more affordable option. In the same ranking, New Mexico was found to have the 19th lowest cost of living.

So how much does coming in 37th place cost Arizona residents? According to 2023 data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the average total personal consumption cost in Arizona is $53,921 per year. Here’s how that total cost breaks down:

Housing Costs in Arizona

Average Housing Costs in Arizona: $1,206 to $2,676 per month

With more than 3.2 million housing units in Arizona, according to census data, you should have no trouble finding a home in Arizona, as long as the housing prices are within your budget. The typical home value in Arizona in June 2024 was $426,947, according to Zillow.

How much you’ll spend on housing each month will vary depending on if you rent or buy. Here’s what you can expect to spend, according to the latest census data.

•  Median monthly mortgage cost: $1,739

•  Median studio rent: $1,206

•  Median one-bedroom rent: $1,345

•  Median two-bedroom rent: $1,623

•  Median three-bedroom rent: $1,860

•  Median four-bedroom rent: $2,156

•  Median five-bedroom (or more) rent: $2,676

•  Median gross rent: $1,608

Where you want to live in Arizona can play a big role in how much it costs to buy a home. Here are typical home values for some major Arizona cities, according to Zillow, as of December 2024.

Utility Costs in Arizona

Average Utility Costs in Arizona: $390 per month

Even once you own a home and pay it off fully, you’ll still need to pay for utilities every month. Here’s what the average monthly utility bill expenses look like in Arizona.

Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Sales, Revenue, and Average Price; Statista.com “Average monthly residential utility costs in the United States, by state”; DoxoInsights, U.S. Cable & Internet Market Size and Household Spending Report; and Rentcafe.com, What Is the Average Water Bill?

Groceries & Food

Average Grocery & Food Costs in Arizona: $327 per person, per month

Food is a major ongoing expense no matter where you live, but how much should you plan to spend on food per month in Arizona?

As previously noted, the Bureau of Economic Analysis found Arizona’s average annual (nonrestaurant) food cost per capita to be $3,923, which breaks down to about $327 per person, per month. That said, where you live in Arizona can play a role in how much food costs you.

According to the Council for Community and Economic Research, which ranks food expenses in major American cities, these are the rankings for Arizona cities’ grocery costs as of 2024.

Transportation

Average Transportation Costs in Arizona: $9,783 to $18,205 per year

Getting from place to place can add up, especially if you have two commuting adults or children in your family.

The following 2024 data from MIT’s Living Wage Calculator can give you an idea of how much you’ll spend on transportation in Arizona, depending on your family structure.

Health Care

Average Health Care Costs in Arizona: $7,943 per person, per year

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis Personal Consumption Expenditures by State report, the average annual per-capita cost of health care in Arizona is $7,943.

It’s worth noting that how much you’ll spend on health care can vary greatly depending on your specific health care needs and what type of coverage you have.

Child Care

Average Child Care Costs in Arizona: $787 to $1,283 per child, per month

No matter what your family’s financial situation is, child care is likely to be a large expense for you, especially during the early years of your child’s life. How much you’ll spend each month can depend on your child’s age.

For example, in Arizona you’ll spend an average of $1,283 a month on care in an infant classroom but $787 a month for care in a preschooler classroom.

For assistance covering these expenses, the Arizona Department of Economic Security offers child care assistance for working low-income families, teen parents attending high school or GED classes, domestic violence or homeless shelter residents, and parents who can’t care for their children because of emotional or physical conditions.

According to data from CostofChildCare.org, these are the average monthly child care costs by type of care:

Taxes

Highest Marginal Tax Rate in Arizona: 2.5%

Arizona charges residents a flat state income tax of 2.5%.

According to the Tax Foundation’s State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets for 2025, Arizona’s 2.5% flat tax is one of the lowest in the region, with neighbor New Mexico charging a top rate of 5.9% and Utah to the north a 4.55% top rate. But it’s nowhere near California’s graduated-rate income tax rate, which tops out at 13.3%.

Miscellaneous Costs

Once you’re done funding all of your necessities, it’s time to have some fun. The Bureau of Economic Analysis found that the average Arizonan can expect $29,749 in personal expenditures a year.

Let’s look at where some of that spending might go (costs are accurate as of March 2025:

•  A visit to Bearizona Wildlife Park, in Williams, to check out the bears: $20 to $35 depending on age and if you go during the week or on the weekend. Children 3 and under can enter for free.

•  An adrenaline-pumping Pink Jeep Tour in Sedona: As much as $1,970 if you book a private tour.

•  Entrance to Grand Canyon National Park for the whole family: $35 per private vehicle.

•  A legendary Arizona meal, the Sonoran hot dog began as a street food staple and has grown to an iconic Arizonan foodie favorite. Order one at El Guero Canelo in Tucson for $4.

If you want to save on a trip to the Grand Canyon, there are a handful of entrance fee-free days throughout the year.

How Much Money Do You Need to Live Comfortably in Arizona?

We all have our own idea of what it means to live comfortably, but most of us share a general set of living standards we hope to afford. Arizona is not one of the more affordable states to live in.

U.S. News & World Report’s Affordability Rankings found Arizona to be the 36th most affordable state. That ranking measures the average cost of living in each state against the average amount of money most households in that state have.

The MERIC ranking found Arizona slightly less affordable — 37th for states with the lowest cost of living. (West Virginia had the lowest; Hawaii, the highest on that list.)

What City Has the Lowest Cost of Living in Arizona?

To make it easier to obtain a comfortable lifestyle in Arizona, let’s get to know the three major Arizona cities with the lowest cost of living, according to the Council for Community and Economic Research’s Cost of Living Index for 2024.

By Jacqueline DeMarco

(Last Updated – 03/2025)

If you visit Utah, you may notice a lot of people with smiles on their faces. Utah is the fourth happiest state in the country, according to a 2025 study by WalletHub, which took factors like economic, emotional, physical, and social health into consideration when ranking all U.S. states.

If you want to get in on some of that happiness, a move to Utah may be in order. To get a better idea if a move to the Beehive State is the right fit for your finances, keep reading to learn more about the Utah cost of living. That way you can keep your budget happy too.

What’s the Average Cost of Living in Utah?

Average Cost of Living in Utah: $51,027 per year

Before you make any decisions about where to put down roots, you might want to take your monthly budget into consideration.

Thinking about moving to Utah? Get ready to tap your savings or earn quite a bit, as Utah has the 36th lowest cost of living across the United States, according to MERIC’s Cost of Living Index.

If Utah is out of your price range, you can consider making a move to nearby Idaho, which ranks 32nd, or Wyoming, which is in the same region but ranks 25th for states with the lowest cost of living.

How much does it cost to live in Utah? According to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the average total personal consumption cost in Utah is $51,027 annually. Let’s take a closer look at that spending:

Looked at as average monthly expenses, that’s $4,252.

Housing Costs in Utah

Average Housing Costs in Utah: $946 to $1,840 per month

Housing in Utah can be expensive in some areas, but in others it can be on the affordable side. How much you’ll spend depends on what type of living arrangements you choose. With more than 1.26 million housing units, according to census data, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from.

Utah’s typical home value was $517,505 in December 2024, according to Zillow, but this is what you can expect to spend monthly if owning or renting, the most recent census data shows.

•  Median monthly mortgage cost: $1,927

•  Median studio rent: $1,143

•  Median one-bedroom rent: $1,282

•  Median two-bedroom rent: $1,460

•  Median three-bedroom rent: $1,739

•  Median four-bedroom rent: $2,072

•  Median five-bedroom (or more) rent: $2,268

•  Median gross rent: $1,551

Where you live in Utah can play a major role in how much you spend on housing. These are the typical home values for a handful of major Utah cities, according to Zillow, in December 2024.

Utility Costs in Utah

Average Utility Costs in Utah: $285 per month

How much should you budget for utilities every month if you plan to live in Utah? Here’s what the average monthly utility costs look like.

Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Sales, Revenue, and Average Price; Statista.com, “Average monthly residential utility costs in the United States, by state”; DoxoInsights, U.S. Cable & Internet Market Size and Household Spending Report; and Rentcafe.com, What Is the Average Water Bill?

Groceries & Food

Average Grocery & Food Costs in Utah: $323 per person, per month

How much you spend on food each month can vary depending on where you live. The Bureau of Economic Analysis found that Utah’s average annual (nonrestaurant) food cost per person is $3,878, which equates to about $323 a month.

The Council for Community and Economic Research, which ranks the food costs in American cities, ranked Utah major cities’ grocery costs for 2024.

Transportation

Average Transportation Costs in Utah: $10,875 to $20,236 per year

From weekend ski trips to more mundane weekday commutes, transportation expenses add up. To get a clearer idea of how much you’d spend on transportation in Utah, take a look at the following annual estimates from MIT’s Living Wage Calculator, based on data from February 2025.

Recommended: 7 Ways to Save Money on Commuting to Work

Health Care

Average Health Care Costs in Utah: $6,833 per person, per year

The average annual per-capita cost of health care in Utah comes out to $6,833, according to estimates from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Personal Consumption Expenditures by State report.

What you’ll actually spend on health care will depend on your specific care needs and coverage.

Child Care

Average Child Care Costs in Utah: $786 to $1,381 per child, per month

Many parents struggle to make room for child care costs. Utah residents who need help covering the costs can look into state child care assistance programs.

To get a better understanding of how much you’d need to spend on child care in Utah, these are the average costs in that state, per data from CostofChildCare.org.

Taxes

Tax Rate in Utah: 4.55%

Utah residents pay a flat-rate state income tax of 4.55%, according to the Tax Foundation’s State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets for 2025.

That’s fairly low when you consider the fact that, not too far away, Californians are paying as much as 13.3% in a graduated-rate state income tax system, while Arizona to the south tops out at 2.5%. That said, if you change plans and move to nearby Nevada or Wyoming, you won’t pay any state income tax at all.

Miscellaneous Costs

After you pay all of your bills, it’s time to kick back and relax. What does it cost to pass the time in Utah? According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, personal expenditures come out to $29,647 per person, per year.

These fun outings may be where some of that money is going (costs are accurate as of March 2025):

•  A family-friendly educational day at the Natural History Museum of Utah in Salt Lake City: $0 to $22.95, depending on age.

•  More family fun at the Hogle Zoo, also in Salt Lake City: $0 to $24.95, depending on age and season.

•  Exploring Zion National Park: Entrance pass $20-$35 per vehicle for seven days, depending on the time of year.

•  A 40-minute swim, soak, or snorkel, at the Homestead Crater, a geothermal spring hidden beneath a 55-foot tall limestone rock formation in Midway: $15 (ages 8+), $12 (kids 3-7), Free (kids 2 and younger) plus tax, Monday-Thursday. (Snorkeling gear rental $8/person.)

•  A “dirty Dr. Pepper” soda at Swig in St. George: $1.90

•  A pastrami burger at Crown Burger in Salt Lake City: $8.99

Recommended: The Average Monthly Expenses for One Person

How Much Money Do You Need to Live Comfortably in Utah?

How accessible a comfortable style of living feels to you will vary depending on your family’s needs and your chosen lifestyle, as well as where you live.

So, just how easy is it to live comfortably in Utah? Utah ranks 27th in the U.S. News & World Report’s Affordability Rankings which means it’s one of the more expensive states in the country to live in. The rankings measure the average cost of living against the average amount of money most households in that state have.

As mentioned, MERIC gave Utah a pricier ranking (36th) on its cost-of-living list.

What City Has the Lowest Cost of Living in Utah?

To make it easier to have a lower-cost lifestyle in Utah, take a look at the three major cities with the lowest cost of living, according to the Council for Community and Economic Research’s Cost of Living Index.