The cost of living varies wildly in some of the biggest cities across the USA – and can even fluctuate significantly within a single state.

City salaries are typically adjusted by about 23% (according to recent data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York) to help workers cover basic expenses. However, plenty more income is needed if employees want to pay off debt, set aside savings, or splurge on something non-essential.

To get an idea of the cost of living challenge facing millions of Americans today, we’ve used data from SmartAsset's 2024 study on the salaries needed to live comfortably and focused on 30 of America’s biggest cities by population. The cities are ranked from least to most expensive based on the amount of money a family of four needs to make to have a comfortable existence.

Population data is based on 2022 US Census Bureau estimates and is limited to city rather than county or metropolitan area.

As part of its data collection, SmartAsset analyzed 99 US cities ranging in size and location. Of the locations assessed, Houston has the lowest required income, pre-tax, for a family of two working adults and two children to live comfortably. That’s a little over $51,000 less than the median of $226,886.

Single adults will need an hourly wage of $36.10. However, take-home pay averages out at just $29.11 per hour in Houston, according to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, meaning many people don't have the funds to cover non-essentials, pay off their debt, or save for the future.

Over on the western side of Texas, it costs slightly more for a family of four to live in comfort.

A dual income of $180,461 is required in El Paso, the equivalent of an hourly wage of $36.18 for a single person. Unfortunately, the average hourly pay across the metropolitan region is only $21.27.

It’s not all bad news, though: consumer prices are generally lower in El Paso than they are in Houston for commodities like transport, restaurants, and basic utilities, according to the online database Numbeo.

Tennessee has one of the lowest cost of living rates across the nation, according to the Council for Community and Economic Research, with residents paying less for housing, healthcare, and utilities. Unfortunately, budgets are still tight for many citizens.

In Memphis, the state’s second-largest city by population, a family of four needs to earn $194,106 per year to live comfortably. However, the census reports a $48,090 median household income in the city for 2022, which isn't even a quarter of that amount.

Similarly, a single adult would need to earn a $41.20 hourly wage when, in reality, the average is around $25.

Back to Texas again. In San Antonio, two working parents need a combined income of at least $200,000 pre-tax to support a family of four comfortably.

That’s $25,000 a year more than its eastern neighbor, Houston – and while Numbeo reports that San Antonio residents do benefit from lower consumer prices, including for groceries, their purchasing power is also lower overall.

On the flip side, a single adult can live comfortably on hourly pay of $40.90, which is slightly less than their counterparts in Memphis.

Despite being one of the top 20 US cities by population size, the cost of living in Oklahoma City is actually 15% lower than the national average. Housing is also 32% cheaper, according to the Council for Community and Economic Research.

To live comfortably, a single adult needs to make around $39.74 per hour, which is one of the lowest rates on this list.

However, a family of four will still need a combined salary total of $201,593 to get by, while census data shows the city’s median household income in 2022 was just $64,251.

While the cost of living in Kentucky is lower than the national average, it might not feel that way if you live in the state's biggest city, Louisville. Here, people are actually paying more than average for utilities, food, transportation, and goods and services.

The median household income in Louisville is $63,114, which is less than a third of the money needed for a family of four to live comfortably ($201,926). The threshold for singles is $41.62 per hour, though the average hourly pay rate is around 35% less, at $27.

SmartAsset suggests that a family of four in Indianapolis needs to bring in a combined pre-tax salary of $206,003 for comfortable living. The median household income is a fraction of that at just $59,110.

For single adults in the city, an hourly wage of $40.88 is required to live comfortably. While this is doable for the city’s doctors, lawyers, and management professionals, the overall city average was just $27.76 per hour in 2022.

A family of four needs $208,000 to live comfortably in Dallas. Along with Plano, Irving, and Garland, this makes Dallas the fourth most expensive city in the Lone Star State.

Meanwhile, singletons will need an hourly wage of $44.12 to get by comfortably. The reality is very different, with the average hourly wage working out at under $30.

Meanwhile, a family of four needs an annual income of at least $208,666 to live comfortably in Florida’s largest city, Jacksonville. Single adults will need to earn $44.08 per hour.

While cities like Orlando and Miami are smaller in population, they actually require higher incomes of around $212,000 and $215,000 respectively for residents to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle.

By contrast, Jacksonville residents typically enjoy a lower cost of living when it comes to utilities, consumer goods, and healthcare, according to Numbeo and the Council for Community and Economic Research.

Although its population is slightly smaller than that of neighboring metropolitan city Dallas, the cost of living comfortably for a family of four is steeper in Fort Worth, at $214,490.

This is further reflected in the median household income of each city, with Fort Worth families typically taking home $72,726 while Dallas families make $63,985.

However, neither of those figures are anywhere near what’s needed to cover expenses, pay off debt, and invest in the future.

In Baltimore, a family of four can live comfortably if they bring home pre-tax earnings of at least $218,000. A single adult, meanwhile, can do the same on an hourly pay rate of $40.86.

However, the cost of living is still high, especially when it comes to groceries and housing. In fact, Maryland as a whole has the seventh highest cost of living rate among all 50 states, according to data from World Population Review.

A household of four needs an annual income of at least $219,814 to live comfortably in Ohio’s largest city. For a single adult, that works out to $41.92 per hour.

The cost of living is considerably lower in Ohio than the nationwide average, with World Population Review ranking it as the 32nd most expensive state. However, when compared to other Buckeye State cities, Columbus residents pay more for housing and groceries. Consumer prices are 18% higher than those in Cincinnati and 20% more than in Toledo, although they're roughly the same in Cleveland.

While the cost of living is 6% higher in Detroit than the state-wide average, it’s still relatively cheap compared to some of the nation’s largest cities. The necessary income for a family of four to live comfortably is below the median, at $219,898.

Singletons in the city need an hourly pay rate of $40.84 – and that’s easily achievable if you work in medicine, STEM fields, or legal or financial roles. However, workers in industries such as catering and healthcare support will typically earn less than half of that per hour in Detroit.

Four of America's largest cities are in Texas. Of them, Austin requires the highest household income to comfortably support a family of four – $223,891 compared to Houston’s $175,219 – while its single adults need an hourly wage that's $10 higher, at $47.96.

Although its population may be smaller, Austin's citizens definitely need bigger budgets to get by. From housing to groceries and even private school tuition, everything is more expensive in Texas’s capital city.

Living comfortably in Nashville requires the same salary for a family of four as in Austin. Here, the hourly wage required for a single adult is also $47.96.

However, compared to Memphis on the western side of Tennessee, Nashville households need to earn nearly $30,000 more per year to cover their expenses, pay off debts, and invest in the future.

In fact, the cost of living is higher in Nashville across the board, from consumer prices to housing. Average salaries in Nashville are around 15% higher than they are in Memphis – which is fortunate, as groceries are 15% more expensive (according to Numbeo). 

To live comfortably while supporting a family of four in Philadelphia, households need to earn around $5,000 more per year than SmartAsset’s median of $226,886. When it comes to the cost of living by state, Pennsylvania sits neatly in the middle, with costs in Philly roughly 6% higher than the state average.

At $44.58 an hour, a single adult can live comfortably on less money than their counterparts in Austin, Nashville, and Fort Worth.

Earning a combined income of $237,952 in Milwaukee will allow a family of four to live comfortably within their means. Single adults will need $38.30 per hour, which is among the lowest rates in America’s biggest cities.

Over in Wisconsin’s capital Madison, which has too small a population to make our list, households require a higher income of $245,690 to live comfortably, while singles need to earn an hourly rate of at least $42.76.

According to Numbeo ​data, living in Milwaukee as opposed to Madison means better prices for housing rentals, dining at restaurants, and both domestic and imported beers, among other things.

Surprisingly, the cost of living in Arizona’s capital city is slightly lower than the statewide average. Housing, healthcare, and goods and services are all more affordable here than they are elsewhere in the Grand Canyon State.

When it comes to the metro region, though, this can vary. The income required to live comfortably and support a family of four in Phoenix is $238,451 before tax, and this is the same amount for many of the surrounding suburbs. If you live in Glendale or Gilbert, however, the figure increases slightly to $239,366.

For single adults, there’s really no difference – making a wage of at least $49 per hour is sufficient for a comfortable lifestyle across the board.

Many flock to the flashing lights of the Las Vegas Strip with dreams of gambling their way to millions. For those who actually live in the city, an annual income of $239,366 is what a family of four needs to live in comfort. But that figure's almost as much of a fantasy as the big casino win, with census data showing the median household income in Las Vegas was just $66,356 in 2022.

Although Las Vegas's cost of living is only 1% higher than the national average, wages are around 12% lower; the mean hourly wage in the US is nearly $30, whereas in Las Vegas it's $26.

To live comfortably, SmartAsset estimates a single adult needs to earn at least $45 per hour in Sin City. This is only likely if you work in a field such as law, medicine or management.  

Once nicknamed the nation’s "Second City" due to its population size (among other much-speculated reasons), Chicago lost its second-largest-population title to Los Angeles around 40 years ago.

Despite that, money stretches much further in Chicago than in other densely populated cities: a four-person household can get by comfortably on $241,280.

That said, moving to the Windy City won't exactly come cheap. The cost of living in Chicago is 24% higher than the state average, with housing a massive 77% more expensive. Single adults need to earn at least $47.38 per hour to live comfortably, although the state-wide median wage was just $23.43 in 2023.

Denver requires a family of four to make at least $272,314 a year to live comfortably.

Housing is driving much of the heightened cost of living; housing costs in the city are 11% more expensive than the national average.

For single adults, an hourly wage of $51.24 is sufficient to live comfortably. In reality, however, the mean hourly wage for Denver was just $32.09 in May 2021. Even healthcare practitioners, who typically make $45.29 an hour, aren't immune from feeling the pinch.

The cost of living is high in the American capital. When comparing the territory to all US states, Washington, DC is the second most expensive after Hawaii.

A family of four in Washington, DC, would need to earn more than $275,000 annually to afford a comfortable lifestyle. Fortunately for the First Family, the president takes home $400,000 a year, plus expenses – but other residents aren’t as lucky, with the city’s median household income for 2022 coming in at $101,722.

On the flip side, single adults only require an hourly wage of $47.80 to live comfortably, which is notably less than the amount needed in cities such as Phoenix and Denver.

As a state, California has one of the highest cost-of-living rates across the nation – and that’s certainly reflected in its largest city.

A family of four needs an annual pre-tax income of at least $276,557 to live comfortably in Los Angeles, while a single adult needs to earn $53.26 per hour.

Several cities in the state are too small in population to make our top 30 but still require serious money. Among them are LA's neighboring communities of Long Beach, Anaheim, and Santa Ana, where a single adult needs to earn closer to $60 an hour to live comfortably.  

In case you were wondering, relocating further north to Seattle won’t make your life any cheaper.

In Seattle, the cost of living is 24% higher than the Washington state average and 45% higher than the nationwide equivalent. Housing expenses are a big driving force behind this; housing in Seattle is 65% higher than the state average and 112% more expensive than the national figure.

While the median household income in the city was $116,068 in 2022 – signficantly higher than the national average of $75,149 – it won’t go far in Seattle. To support a family of four, households need an annual income of at least $283,712, while a single adult needs to earn a minimum hourly wage of $57.40 to live comfortably.

It’s a similar story in San Diego, where the average earnings aren’t anywhere near what’s needed to live comfortably. In 2022, the median household income was $98,657, but SmartAsset estimates that $289,453 is needed to support a family of four. 

The hourly wage for single adults to live comfortably is $59.04, which isn’t an issue for the city’s management professionals and lawyers.

However, the city average is $34.17 per hour, while workers in the food service, janitorial, and healthcare support industries typically make less than $20 an hour.

Families in Portland will need to earn a combined pre-tax income of $289,786. That’s well above SmartAsset’s median of $226,886.

On paper, single adults have it a bit easier in Portland, with an hourly wage of nearly $53 required for comfortable living. However, while this is lower than the comparable figures in Los Angeles, Seattle, and San Diego, $53 is still well above the city's average hourly rate of $32.68, meaning many will struggle to get by. 

In 2022, the median household income in New York City was $76,607, which is close to the national average of $75,149. However, for those living in New York City, paychecks need to be substantially larger to support a family of four comfortably, with SmartAsset estimating $318,406 is currently required.

Unlike in Portland, singles in NYC are no better off; in fact, they need the highest hourly pay in the whole country, at $66.62.

And the news gets worse. The Big Apple's average hourly wage in 2022 was $37.77, with only management professionals and lawyers (of the occupational groups tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics) earning a mean hourly wage that exceeded $66.

This means even the likes of doctors, tech workers, and engineers are less likely to earn enough to live comfortably, while teachers, social workers, and service industry workers will all struggle.

It’s no surprise Boston features near the top of the list for salaries needed to live comfortably – after all, Massachusetts has the third highest cost of living across all 50 states and Washington, DC.

As with several other cities, housing is one of the biggest reasons why a family of four will need to earn $319,738 a year to live comfortably. Meanwhile, a single adult will need an hourly pay of $60.08.

Whether you're buying or renting, housing costs in Boston are a staggering 121% higher than the national average. Moving to the suburbs won’t do too much to help either, as the city’s eye-watering housing costs are only 4% more expensive than the statewide average.

The top two cities on our list are both in the Bay Area. In San Jose, households need a combined income of $334,547 to live comfortably, while a single adult can do the same when paid at least $65.74 per hour.

While the tech industry ensures many people in the region have ample take-home earnings, this isn’t the case for everyone, with the city's median household income coming in at $136,010 in 2022.

While that's undeniably a significant amount of money for many Americans, it’s not nearly enough to cover expenses, pay off debt, and invest in the future for those living in San Jose.

If the cost of living in San Jose sounds steep, you’ll need to add another $5,000 per year to your salary to move north. The highest household income needed to live comfortably as a family of four in America can be found in San Francisco, at $339,123. This is more than $100,000 higher than SmartAsset’s median combined income of $226,886.

Single adults will need to earn $57.48 per hour. For certain industries in San Francisco, that’s achievable – think tech, management, architecture and engineering, law, and medicine.

But for others it's a pipe dream, as the city's typical hourly wage was just $45.37 in 2022. While this figure is enough to live comfortably in more than half the cities on this list, it won't quite cut it in San Francisco!

Now discover the 30 countries with the highest cost of living today and where America ranks