North America · New York
Cost of living in United States
United States is about the same as the US, ranking #8 of 203 countries we cover for cost of living. The local currency is USD ($).
World Bank data through 2024 · last reviewed 2026-06.
What drives the cost here
Price levels by category, where the world average = 100. Above 100 is pricier than the global norm; below it is cheaper.
In United States, communication is the priciest category relative to the world (224), while transport is the most affordable (116).
Category price levels: World Bank ICP 2021 (world average = 100) · source
What your money is worth here
A $100,000 US lifestyle would cost roughly $100,000 in United States.
Quality of life
91/100 · #52 of 198Beyond cost — health, safety, and connectivity. The score is a transparent, equal-weight composite of the verified metrics below (see methodology).
About United States
Thirteen of Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. Two of the most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65), in which a northern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11 southern slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an economic downturn during which about a quarter of the labor force lost its jobs.
Read the full background
Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation state. Since the end of World War II, the economy has achieved relatively steady growth, low unemployment, and rapid advances in technology.
Background from the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived 2026-06-03.
Frequently asked
Is United States expensive to live in?
United States is about the same as the US, ranking #8 of the 203 countries we track. Its most expensive category relative to the world is communication; transport costs the least.
How much money do you need to live in United States?
A lifestyle that costs $100,000 in the United States would cost roughly $100,000 in United States, going by overall price levels. The salary translator turns your own figure into a local equivalent.
What is the quality of life in United States?
United States scores 91 out of 100 on our quality-of-life index (#52 of 198), a composite of life expectancy, safety, health, and connectivity, with life expectancy around 79 years.
Every number, sourced.
We cite the exact source and year for each figure. Derived values are computed at build time, never hand-entered.
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