Cheapest priced cityDetroit$1,931 essentials/mo
Priciest priced cityNew York City$4,213 essentials/mo
Average 1-bed outside centre$1,757across 27 priced cities
Detroit vs the worldCheaper than 112 of the 535 priced cities we trackessentials, single person, USD
Tourist stay signalNo universal waiver: depends heavily on your passport. ESTA (US$21) covers 40 countries; everyone else needs a B-2 visa and an embassy interview.as of 2026-07
City-by-city monthly costs
Essentials are sourced rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining, and local transport. They are not a full lifestyle budget.
| Detroit | $1,931 | 96.4 county | $922 | $1,520 | $239 | $366 | $284 | $120 | $3,409 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Antonio | $1,985 | 104.7 county | $1,062 | $1,514 | $223 | $368 | $294 | $38 | $4,234 |
| Omaha | $2,164 | 101.4 county | $1,132 | $1,460 | $224 | $413 | $340 | $55 | $3,902 |
| Austin | $2,302 | 109.2 county | $1,302 | $1,894 | $237 | $428 | $294 | $41 | $5,050 |
| Minneapolis | $2,319 | 102.9 county | $1,264 | $1,796 | $278 | $461 | $228 | $88 | $4,153 |
| Houston | $2,393 | 100.9 county | $1,408 | $1,706 | $228 | $412 | $270 | $75 | $4,378 |
| Nashville | $2,409 | 94.2 county | $1,398 | $1,953 | $254 | $390 | $302 | $65 | $4,518 |
| Philadelphia | $2,442 | 91.3 county | $1,322 | $1,971 | $283 | $450 | $287 | $100 | $4,768 |
| New Orleans | $2,455 | 85.7 county | $1,222 | $1,907 | $270 | $582 | $336 | $45 | $4,025 |
| Dallas | $2,526 | 101 county | $1,436 | $1,805 | $246 | $442 | $276 | $126 | $4,791 |
| Phoenix | $2,526 | 104.4 county | $1,423 | $1,777 | $273 | $435 | $331 | $64 | $4,440 |
| Las Vegas | $2,555 | 102.3 county | $1,458 | $1,578 | $221 | $518 | $293 | $65 | $3,771 |
| Tampa | $2,674 | 99.1 county | $1,673 | $2,296 | $239 | $416 | $281 | $65 | $4,668 |
| Chicago | $2,701 | 99 county | $1,677 | $2,443 | $271 | $420 | $258 | $75 | $4,984 |
| Atlanta | $2,713 | 97.5 county | $1,456 | $1,976 | $258 | $608 | $279 | $112 | $5,195 |
| Denver | $2,713 | 104.2 county | $1,674 | $2,030 | $297 | $435 | $219 | $88 | $4,487 |
| Portland | $2,887 | 99.1 county | $1,633 | $2,082 | $295 | $491 | $368 | $100 | $4,682 |
| Seattle | $3,250 | 109.1 county | $1,924 | $2,444 | $312 | $525 | $381 | $108 | $6,597 |
| Washington | $3,391 | 87.8 county | $2,116 | $2,626 | $304 | $578 | $273 | $120 | $7,053 |
| Miami | $3,413 | 103.8 county | $2,137 | $2,763 | $276 | $630 | $258 | $112 | $4,432 |
| Honolulu | $3,433 | 116.4 county | $1,963 | $2,913 | $439 | $630 | $311 | $90 | $4,124 |
| Los Angeles | $3,629 | 102.6 county | $2,347 | $2,563 | $282 | $555 | $340 | $105 | $4,480 |
| San Jose | $3,837 | 114.3 county | $2,630 | $3,172 | $275 | $510 | $332 | $90 | $6,483 |
| San Diego | $3,878 | 111.1 county | $2,671 | $3,366 | $279 | $525 | $331 | $72 | $5,316 |
| Boston | $3,935 | 95.7 county | $2,600 | $3,400 | $308 | $600 | $337 | $90 | $6,184 |
| San Francisco | $4,016 | 108.3 county | $2,732 | $3,816 | $322 | $555 | $317 | $90 | $7,600 |
| New York City | $4,213 | 93.1 county | $2,854 | $4,295 | $297 | $592 | $330 | $140 | $5,486 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
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Photo: Dllu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
