Where the Living Is Easy

Where the Living Is Easy

In the US everyday necessities cost less in the Midwest and the South

Residents of New York City pay twice as much for movie tickets as their counterparts in Sioux City Iowa. A visit to the doctor costs more in Los Angeles than Montgomery, Alabama. Prices for a range of items differ from city to city and state to state, sometime dramatically. As a rule, the cost of basic items – from food to housing to entertainment – tends to be higher in a large metropolis than om smaller cities or towns. The cost of living is cheaper in the South and Midwest than it is on either the East or West Coast.

Nationwide, there isn’t much of a difference in the cost of basic consumer items, largely because of national brands and efficient interstate transportation. Bet there are significant regional differences in the prices of some services, notably health care and child care. Together, goods and services account for  35 to 40 percent of annual family spending.

Where the living is easy. Credit photo: Elena

The biggest cost differentials are in housing and taxes, which account for the lion’s share of most family budgets. According to figures compiled by Runzheimer international, a management consulting firm that determines relocation for businesses, the annual cost of three- to four-bedroom house or apartment in Little Rock, Arkansas, for example, is a third the cost of a similarly sized place in Washington, D.C.

Where quarters are cramped and prices high: Any large metropolitan area is going to be more expensive than a small town, but some big cities are a lot more expensive than others.

Of course, everything is relative. Even the most expensive cities in the United States are bargains compared with many cities abroad. Runzheimer, in fact, touts the United States to its foreign clients as an attractive relocation destination because of its comparatively low living costs.

Here’s the good news: New York looks like a bargain compared to Hong Kong.