The most and least expensive places to live in America

san jose california
San Jose, California, is the most expensive US metro area, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Facebook/VisitSanJose

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  • America's cities tend to be more expensive than other parts of the country.
  • Using recently released data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, we looked at the most and least expensive places to live in the US. 
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America's big coastal cities are really expensive.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis recently released data on personal income and the cost of living in 2016 for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan parts of states, including the relative cost of living in different parts of the country.

Regional price parity is an index that sets the national average cost of goods and services at 100, with a particular region's RPP showing how the cost of living in that region compares with that average.

For example, the New York metropolitan area had an RPP of 122 in 2016, meaning the city and its suburbs are about 22% more expensive than the national average.

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Meanwhile, Beckley, West Virginia, had an RPP of 78.8, meaning goods and services cost about four-fifths as much as the national average.

Here's a map illustrating the RPP of the country's metropolitan areas and of the parts of states that fall outside of them. Regions in blue are less expensive than the national average, with darker areas indicating the lowest relative cost of living. Those in red are more expensive than average, with darker red showing a higher cost of living.

most expensive places in america
Business Insider/Andy Kiersz, data from Bureau of Economic Analysis

And here are the 10 most expensive (in red) and least expensive (in blue) metro areas in the US:

most and least expensive metro areas chart
Business Insider/Andy Kiersz, data from Bureau of Economic Analysis

Here are the 40 largest metro areas by 2016 population, ranked from most to least expensive, along with their overall regional price parities and RPPs for goods, rent, and non-rent services. Much, but not all, of the disparity in prices among cities comes from rent, rather than other goods and services:

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San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

san jose california
Facebook/VisitSanJose

Overall regional price parity: 127.1

Goods RPP: 110.4

Rent RPP: 213.3

Non-rent services RPP: 110.7

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San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

san francisco
canadastock/Shutterstock

Overall regional price parity: 124.7

Goods RPP: 110.7

Rent RPP: 190.9

Non-rent services RPP: 111.0

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New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA

New York
TTstudio/Shutterstock

Overall regional price parity: 122.0

Goods RPP: 109.9

Rent RPP: 154.9

Non-rent services RPP: 115.9

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Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

Washington DC
Courtesy of TripAdvisor

Overall regional price parity: 119.1

Goods RPP: 105.4

Rent RPP: 166.4

Non-rent services RPP: 110.7

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Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

Los Angeles
Anton_Ivanov/Shutterstock

Overall regional price parity: 117.7

Goods RPP: 104.8

Rent RPP: 165.4

Non-rent services RPP: 107.4

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San Diego-Carlsbad, CA

san diego
REUTERS/Desmond Boylan

Overall regional price parity: 116.3

Goods RPP: 100.1

Rent RPP: 167.6

Non-rent services RPP: 105.6

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Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

Des Linden Marathon run Boston
Charles Krupa/AP Images

Overall regional price parity: 111.1

Goods RPP: 101.4

Rent RPP: 141.0

Non-rent services RPP: 107.2

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Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

PikePlaceMarket Seattle 1
Food vendor Mark Eskenazi reaches for a container of figs for a customer at Pike Place Market in 2007. AP Photo/Elaine Thompson

Overall regional price parity: 110.5

Goods RPP: 106.3

Rent RPP: 134.0

Non-rent services RPP: 104.0

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Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

Miami Pool party
FashionStock.com/Shutterstock

Overall regional price parity: 107.6

Goods RPP: 100.6

Rent RPP: 129.4

Non-rent services RPP: 100.9

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Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA

Riverside California
Jon Bilous/Shutterstock

Overall regional price parity: 107.4

Goods RPP: 101.6

Rent RPP: 117.6

Non-rent services RPP: 106.8

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Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD

baltimore ravens football fans
Fans stand during the national anthem before the Baltimore Ravens take on the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium on October 1, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Overall regional price parity: 107.2

Goods RPP: 102.8

Rent RPP: 116.0

Non-rent services RPP: 105.2

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Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO

denver colorodo houses
Shutterstock

Overall regional price parity: 106.0

Goods RPP: 100.8

Rent RPP: 127.9

Non-rent services RPP: 99.3

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Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

Liberty Bell
iStock / Songquan Deng

Overall regional price parity: 105.9

Goods RPP: 101.2

Rent RPP: 111.3

Non-rent services RPP: 107.9

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Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

Chicago The Loop
Sarah Jacobs/Business Insider

Overall regional price parity: 103.8

Goods RPP: 100.1

Rent RPP: 114.8

Non-rent services RPP: 102.2

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Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

us bank stadium hks minnesota minneapolis architecture
Nic Lehoux

Overall regional price parity: 102.3

Goods RPP: 103.9

Rent RPP: 110.1

Non-rent services RPP: 96.7

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Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA

California Governor Jerry Brown delivers his final state of the state address in Sacramento, California, U.S., January 25, 2018. REUTERS/Fred Greave
California Governor Jerry Brown delivers his final state of the state address in Sacramento. Thomson Reuters

Overall regional price parity: 102.0

Goods RPP: 95.4

Rent RPP: 117.6

Non-rent services RPP: 102.0

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Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

portland oregon
Shutterstock/Josemaria Toscano

Overall regional price parity: 101.7

Goods RPP: 99.0

Rent RPP: 117.7

Non-rent services RPP: 97.5

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Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

Dallas Keuchel Houston Astros
Tim Warner/Getty

Overall regional price parity: 101.6

Goods RPP: 96.2

Rent RPP: 103.2

Non-rent services RPP: 107.3

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Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

Tom Brady vs Dallas Cowboys
Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Overall regional price parity: 100.2

Goods RPP: 99.0

Rent RPP: 103.2

Non-rent services RPP: 99.9

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Austin-Round Rock, TX

Austin Texas Live Music Capital
Kevin Harber/Flickr

Overall regional price parity: 100.0

Goods RPP: 97.9

Rent RPP: 117.2

Non-rent services RPP: 93.4

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Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL

tampa florida nightlife
Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Overall regional price parity: 99.8

Goods RPP: 96.5

Rent RPP: 103.5

Non-rent services RPP: 101.8

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Providence-Warwick, RI-MA

providence rhode island
Shutterstock

Overall regional price parity: 99.7

Goods RPP: 98.7

Rent RPP: 98.2

Non-rent services RPP: 101.9

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Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL

disney world
Kent Phillips/Disney Parks via Getty Images

Overall regional price parity: 98.0

Goods RPP: 97.9

Rent RPP: 104.8

Non-rent services RPP: 93.4

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Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC

Virginia Beach
Patrickneil / Wikimedia Commons

Overall regional price parity: 97.9

Goods RPP: 97.8

Rent RPP: 104.9

Non-rent services RPP: 93.4

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Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV

las vegas
Shutterstock/Chad Zuber

Overall regional price parity: 97.8

Goods RPP: 95.4

Rent RPP: 96.5

Non-rent services RPP: 102.0

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Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

phoenix arizona
welcomia/Shutterstock

Overall regional price parity: 97.1

Goods RPP: 97.2

Rent RPP: 97.7

Non-rent services RPP: 96.5

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Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

piedmont park atlanta georgia
Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Overall regional price parity: 96.3

Goods RPP: 98.3

Rent RPP: 93.5

Non-rent services RPP: 95.9

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Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

renaissance center detroit
Wikimedia Commons

Overall regional price parity: 95.9

Goods RPP: 98.2

Rent RPP: 86.7

Non-rent services RPP: 99.3

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Jacksonville, FL

jacksonville jaguars football fans
Fans are seen in the stands during the first half of the game between the Houston Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field on December 17, 2017 in Jacksonville, Florida. Logan Bowles/Getty Images

Overall regional price parity: 95.8

Goods RPP: 97.8

Rent RPP: 95.8

Non-rent services RPP: 93.4

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Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI

milwaukee RiverWalk Urban Land Institute
The Riverwalk in Milwaukee. Urban Land Institute

Overall regional price parity: 95.6

Goods RPP: 95.6

Rent RPP: 95.1

Non-rent services RPP: 95.8

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San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX

San Antonio
iStock

Overall regional price parity: 94.4

Goods RPP: 97.5

Rent RPP: 90.2

Non-rent services RPP: 93.4

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Nashville-Davidson—Murfreesboro—Franklin, TN

tallest building nashville street
Mark Skalny / Shutterstock.com

Overall regional price parity: 94.4

Goods RPP: 97.5

Rent RPP: 90.3

Non-rent services RPP: 93.4

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Pittsburgh, PA

pittsburgh
ESB Professional/Shutterstock

Overall regional price parity: 94.3

Goods RPP: 98.1

Rent RPP: 78.9

Non-rent services RPP: 98.1

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Kansas City, MO-KS

Kansas City
User:Charvex / Wikimedia Commons

Overall regional price parity: 93.7

Goods RPP: 96.5

Rent RPP: 82.4

Non-rent services RPP: 97.1

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Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC

charlotte north carolina
Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Overall regional price parity: 93.5

Goods RPP: 97.4

Rent RPP: 86.5

Non-rent services RPP: 93.4

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Columbus, OH

columbus ohio
Checubus/Shutterstock

Overall regional price parity: 93.0

Goods RPP: 96.9

Rent RPP: 84.2

Non-rent services RPP: 93.4

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Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN

May 26, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Verizon IndyCar Series driver Simon Pagenaud (1) leads a pack of car down the front straightaway into turn one during Carb Day for the 101st Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
IndyCar: 101st Running of the Indianapolis 500-Carb Day Thomson Reuters

Overall regional price parity: 92.8

Goods RPP: 97.2

Rent RPP: 83.0

Non-rent services RPP: 93.5

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St. Louis, MO-IL

St. Louis
The Gateway Arch is seen as the flooding Mississippi River runs in front of it June 25, 2008 in St. Louis, Missouri. Forecasters say the Mississippi River appears to have crested in the northern parts of Missouri and would by June 25 in southern parts of the state and in Illinois. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Overall regional price parity: 90.8

Goods RPP: 94.3

Rent RPP: 82.7

Non-rent services RPP: 91.4

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Cleveland-Elyria, OH

LeBron James
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Overall regional price parity: 90.2

Goods RPP: 95.9

Rent RPP: 77.9

Non-rent services RPP: 90.9

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Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN

cincinnati ohio
Checubus/Shutterstock

Overall regional price parity: 89.6

Goods RPP: 94.6

Rent RPP: 78.7

Non-rent services RPP: 90.9

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