Below is a list of the 50 most and least expensive metro areas to live in the US. The cities are listed in order.
The dollar value given is, according to CNNMoney.com, "income a couple would need to pay for the same moderately affluent lifestyle in different cities." Why they specify "couple," I cannot explain. I imagine a single person would need the same income to habitate as described.
Most expensive:
1. New York (Manhattan) New York $166,777
2. San Francisco California $145,350
3. San Jose California $136,252
4. Honolulu Hawaii $129,729
5. Los Angeles-Long Beach California $126,736
6. Orange County California $124,980
7. Oakland California $123,361
8. San Diego California $121,279
9. Stamford Connecticut $120,522
10. Nassau County New York $120,326
11. New York (Queens) New York $118,285
12. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria District of Columbia $115,198
13. Framingham-Natick Massachusetts $114,913
14. Bergen-Passaic New Jersey $111,855
15. Boston Massachusetts $111,752
16. Bethesda-Frederick-Gaithersburg Maryland $109,484
17. Juneau Alaska $109,147
18. Newark-Elizabeth New Jersey $108,430
19. Middlesex - Monmouth New Jersey $106,010
20. Kodiak Alaska $105,699
21. Fairbanks Alaska $104,325
22. Prince William Virginia $103,896
23. San Bernardino California $103,561
24. Chicago Illinois $103,049
25. Providence Rhode Island $102,548
26. New Haven Connecticut $100,752
27. Philadelphia Pennsylvania $100,456
28. Palm Springs California $100,200
29. Dutchess County New York $98,730
30. Hartford Connecticut $97,371
31. Anchorage Alaska $96,938
32. Fresno California $96,928
33. New London Connecticut $95,928
34. Riverside City California $95,772
35. Glenwood Springs Colorado $95,638
36. Seattle Washington $95,018
37. Los Alamos New Mexico $94,494
38. Burlington-Chittenden Co Vermont $94,493
39. Fort Lauderdale Florida $94,191
40. Baltimore Maryland $94,052
41. Fitchburg-Leominster Massachusetts $93,814
42. Miami-Dade County Florida $92,860
43. Ithaca New York $92,419
44. Dare County North Carolina $92,261
45. Lancaster-Palmdale California $92,196
46. Portland Oregon $92,140
47. Las Vegas Nevada $91,807
48. West Palm Beach Florida $91,789
49. Carson City Nevada $91,631
50. Reno-Sparks Nevada $89,937
Least expensive
(or, 50 cities in which I wouldn't be caught dead living, coincidentally all in red states):
1. McAlester Oklahoma $63,698
2. Cookeville Tennessee $67,756
3. Lancaster South Carolina $68,209
4. Clarksville Tennessee $68,349
5. Conway Arkansas $68,724
6. Joplin Missouri $68,759
7. Pryor Creek Oklahoma $68,777
8. Jonesboro Arkansas $68,837
9. McAllen Texas $69,009
10. Laredo Texas $69,102
11. Salina Kansas $69,154
12. Douglas Georgia $69,432
13. Paris Texas $69,496
14. Palestine-Anderson County Texas $69,799
15. Longview Texas $70,091
16. Harlingen Texas $70,128
17. Amarillo Texas $70,241
18. Fort Smith Arkansas $70,270
19. Lubbock Texas $70,338
20. Tupelo Mississippi $70,409
21. Nevada Missouri $70,424
22. Hot Springs Arkansas $70,553
23. Midland Texas $70,618
24. Seguin Texas $71,053
25. Kingsport Tennessee $71,132
26. Florence Alabama $71,149
27. Hopkinsville Kentucky $71,207
28. Conroe Texas $71,294
29. Odessa Texas $71,328
30. Knoxville Tennessee $71,329
31. Jackson-Madison County Tennessee $71,434
32. Weatherford Texas $71,438
33. Jackson Mississippi $71,464
34. Corpus Christi Texas $71,659
35. Murray Kentucky $71,793
36. Martinsville-Henry County Virginia $71,852
37. Abilene Texas $71,935
38. LaGrange-Troup County Georgia $72,015
39. Hutchinson Kansas $72,190
40. San Angelo Texas $72,214
41. Albany Georgia $72,219
42. Morristown Tennessee $72,221
43. Johnson City Tennessee $72,231
44. Springfield Missouri $72,233
45. Houston Texas $72,237
46. Decatur-Hartselle Alabama $72,284
47. Augusta-Aiken Georgia $72,325
48. Marshall County Alabama $72,371
49. Dothan Alabama $72,468
50. Paducah Kentucky $72,492
Source: CNNMoney.com