Where does your
dollar go furthest?
Compare cost of living across 387 U.S. metros and 51 states using the official BEA Regional Price Parities — the federal benchmark for what a dollar actually buys.
- Metro areas
- 387
- States covered
- 51
- Cost spread
- 84 – 116
- Source
- BEA RPP
Browse by State
Learn & Explore
Go beyond the data with our in-depth guides on cost of living, salary negotiation, and making the most of RPP data.
Cheapest Metros to Live in 2026
The most affordable metro areas in the US ranked by BEA Regional Price Parities, including housing and services.
How to Use RPP Data in Salary Negotiations
Use Regional Price Parity data to make a data-driven case for your salary in relocation or remote work discussions.
Remote Work Arbitrage: Keep Your Salary, Cut Your Costs
How to use cost of living data to find metros where your remote income goes furthest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does PlainCost get its cost of living data?
All data comes from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP), which measures price level differences across U.S. metropolitan areas relative to the national average.
What are Regional Price Parities?
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes that measure cost differences between metro areas. An RPP of 110 means prices are 10% above the national average, while 90 means 10% below. They cover goods, services, and housing.
Is PlainCost free?
Yes, PlainCost is completely free. You can look up cost of living data for any of our 387 metro areas, use salary relocation calculators, and compare cities without any account or payment.
How can I use PlainCost for a job relocation?
Use our salary relocation pages to see how your current salary translates to equivalent purchasing power in a different city. This accounts for differences in housing, goods, and services costs based on BEA data.
Related Guides
Editorial context for the plaincost dataset — methodology, comparisons, and deep dives into the underlying records.
Cheapest Metros to Live in 2026: Official BEA Data
In-depth guide with context and practical steps.
Comparing Metro Areas: A Guide to BEA Cost-of-Living Data
In-depth guide with context and practical steps.
Cost of Living vs Wages: Where Your Dollar Goes Furthest
In-depth guide with context and practical steps.
Research
Original analysis from our editorial team, every statistic derived from our own database. See all research.
Top 10 Most Expensive US MSAs by RPP in 2024
Discover the 10 priciest US metro areas like New York and San Francisco, where RPP for all items averages 120.5, highlighting rents at 140.2 and services at 115.3, based on BEA data for 387 MSAs.
ResearchAverage RPP for Services Across US States in 2024
Explore state-level averages like California's 115.3 RPP for services and Texas's 95.4, drawing from 51 states' data on goods, services, and rents to reveal regional cost disparities.
ResearchYear-Over-Year RPP Trends for Rents in Top MSAs, 2018-2024
Track rent RPP increases in MSAs like Abilene, TX from 76.7 in 2017 to 80.5 in 2024, and Akron, OH rising to 78.9, using 6,579 historical records to analyze cost shifts across 387 areas.