The cheapest states to live in

Every state we cover, cheapest first

Each row is the median across the cities we cover in that state, not a single city — a state with one expensive metro and several cheap ones sits where its middle is. Cost is all-in monthly essentials for one person: household-scaled rent, food, transport, healthcare, utilities where the rent basis excludes them, and local sales tax.

Why the cheapest state may not be your cheapest move

A state ranking hides the thing that decides your budget: which city inside it. The spread within a single large state is routinely wider than the spread between two states, so "move to a cheap state" is worse advice than "move to a cheap city in a state whose taxes suit you".

Taxes cut the other way, too. A state with no income tax can still cost more overall once rent and sales tax are counted, and a state with high income tax can leave you better off if its wages are higher. That is why every figure on this site runs the actual tax rules rather than a rule of thumb.

Common questions

What is the cheapest state to live in?

Of the states we cover, Missouri has the lowest median cost — about $3,498/month in essentials for one person across its 3 cities in our dataset, with typical rent around $1,218/mo.

Is it cheaper to live in a state with no income tax?

Not automatically. No income tax means more of a given salary survives, but states raise revenue somewhere — often through higher sales or property taxes — and rent varies far more than tax does. Compare the all-in monthly cost, which is what these rankings use, rather than the headline tax rate.