10 Most Expensive Cities to Live in the US

Below you can see our list of the 10 most expensive cities to live in the US. For a more comprehensive list please see the 25 most expensive cities to live in the US.

10. Chicago, Illinois

Chicago is famous for its culture and history, which is why it is one of the most visited cities by tourists in the US and why its airport is one of the busiest airports in the world. In 2018, 58 million people visited Chicago. It is also famous, less fortunately, for the high number of crimes in the city, though these crimes have decreased over the last few years.

9. Miami, Florida

The most expensive city to live in Florida is of course Miami, which immediately conjures up images of beachfront mansions. It is said to be one of the richest cities in the US, which of course means a higher cost of living as well.

8. Seattle, Washington

Seattle is the largest city in Washington, and one of the fastest growing cities in the US as well.

7. Honolulu, Hawaii

It is the largest city in Hawaii and gained historical significance after the Japanese Pearl Harbor attack during World War II.

6. Washington, District of Columbia

Home to the White House and several important government offices, Washington is also the capital of the United States of America, named after one of the founding fathers in George Washington. It has a very high housing cost, which significantly impacts the cost of living in the city.

5. Anchorage, Alaska

Not only is Anchorage the most populous city of Alaska, nearly 40% of the state’s population resides in Anchorage alone. Anchorage is almost equidistant from both Tokyo and New York which is why it is an ideal stop for many planes, especially for refueling purposes.

4. Boston, Massachusetts

The capital of Massachusetts, Boston has a population of nearly 700,000 and is one of the oldest municipalities in the US. The cost of living in the city is quite high as it has undergone gentrification.

3. Oakland, California

We told you California dominates this list and it has another presence in the top 3 with Oakland making the list as well, and is considered to be one of the most diverse cities in the US, with a white population of just 32.5%.

2. San Francisco city, California

California makes its final appearance with San Francisco, which is one of the most expensive cities in the US by far. Due to restrictions on new residential construction, rents and property prices are extremely high with the median rent over $,4225. You could earn $50,000 after tax and not even be able to afford basic necessities in the city.

1. New York City, New York

There was never any doubt that New York City would top the list of 10 most expensive cities to live in the US, and is also the most populous in the country with over 8.3 million residents. It has a GDP of $2 trillion and is home to 188 billionaires. Of course, it stands to reason that the city is very expensive to live in for the average person.