Cheapest priced cityOmaha$2,164 essentials/mo
Priciest priced cityNew York City$4,213 essentials/mo
Average 1-bed outside centre$1,819across 19 priced cities
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.
| City | Essentials | 1-bed outside | 1-bed centre | Groceries | Dining | Utilities | Transport | Avg salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha | $2,164 | $1,132 | $1,460 | $224 | $413 | $340 | $55 | $3,902 |
| Austin | $2,302 | $1,302 | $1,894 | $237 | $428 | $294 | $41 | $5,050 |
| Minneapolis | $2,319 | $1,264 | $1,796 | $278 | $461 | $228 | $88 | $4,153 |
| Nashville | $2,409 | $1,398 | $1,953 | $254 | $390 | $302 | $65 | $4,518 |
| New Orleans | $2,455 | $1,222 | $1,907 | $270 | $582 | $336 | $45 | $4,025 |
| Dallas | $2,526 | $1,436 | $1,805 | $246 | $442 | $276 | $126 | $4,791 |
| Phoenix | $2,526 | $1,423 | $1,777 | $273 | $435 | $331 | $64 | $4,440 |
| Tampa | $2,674 | $1,673 | $2,296 | $239 | $416 | $281 | $65 | $4,668 |
| Chicago | $2,701 | $1,677 | $2,443 | $271 | $420 | $258 | $75 | $4,984 |
| Atlanta | $2,713 | $1,456 | $1,976 | $258 | $608 | $279 | $112 | $5,195 |
| Denver | $2,713 | $1,674 | $2,030 | $297 | $435 | $219 | $88 | $4,487 |
| Portland | $2,887 | $1,633 | $2,082 | $295 | $491 | $368 | $100 | $4,682 |
| Seattle | $3,250 | $1,924 | $2,444 | $312 | $525 | $381 | $108 | $6,597 |
| Miami | $3,413 | $2,137 | $2,763 | $276 | $630 | $258 | $112 | $4,432 |
| Los Angeles | $3,629 | $2,347 | $2,563 | $282 | $555 | $340 | $105 | $4,480 |
| San Diego | $3,878 | $2,671 | $3,366 | $279 | $525 | $331 | $72 | $5,316 |
| Boston | $3,935 | $2,600 | $3,400 | $308 | $600 | $337 | $90 | $6,184 |
| San Francisco | $4,016 | $2,732 | $3,816 | $322 | $555 | $317 | $90 | $7,600 |
| New York City | $4,213 | $2,854 | $4,295 | $297 | $592 | $330 | $140 | $5,486 |
Single person, USD. Data updated July 27, 2026.
Need the full United States of America model?
Open the gated deep-dive for city shortlist, cost detail, weather, visa, tax, dating-market signals, and subregion rankings.
Unlock United States of America deep-dive