Other than that, the coasts are the most expensive, and the big coastal cities very, very expensive. New York, DC, LA, and San Fransisco are very expensive.

As you go to the more rural areas, things get cheaper. For instance Iowa or Mississippi won’t cost you nearly as much.

There are two factors to consider for expenses. The first is the price of real estate. The more expensive real estate is, the more expensive everything is. So, if you want to check out how expensive a city is, go to Craigslist.org, click on a city, and check out the prices of homes for sale or apartments for rent.

The other factor is how “chic” a city is. For instance, are the restaurants upscale, or is the local hang out a diner? How fashion couscious are people? That drives up the total cost of living.

Keep in mind that aside from rent, you can largely control the costs in most places. McDonald’s hamburgers are the same price in New York as Des Moins. Walmart is everywhere (except maybe Manhattan). If you’re a cheapie, you can find deals anywhere. If you’re prone to want the standard of living everyone else has, go to the less sophisticated places.