Tupelo is number 1 again! (TWICE)11/25/2025
Lowest cost of living for Q2 and Q3 in 2025
Cost of Living Index Review of Q2 & Q3 in 2025
Among the 245 urban areas that participated in the second quarter of the 2025 Cost of Living Index, the after-tax cost for a professional/managerial standard of living ranged from more than twice the national average in New York (Manhattan), NY to more than 20 percent below the national average in Tupelo, MS. The Cost of Living Index is published quarterly by C2ER – The Council for Community and Economic Research (www.coli.org).
The Cost of Living Index measures regional differences in the cost of consumer goods and services, excluding taxes and non-consumer expenditures, for professional and managerial households in the top income quintile. Covering 61 different items, prices are collected quarterly by chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, and university applied economic centers in each participating urban area. Small differences should not be interpreted as showing a measurable difference.
The Ten Most and Least Expensive Urban Areas in the Cost of Living Index (COLI) National Average for 245 Urban Areas = 100
Q2 of 2025:
| Most Expensive | Least Expensive | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COL | COL | ||||
| RANKING | URBAN AREAS | INDEX | RANKING | URBAN AREAS | INDEX |
| 1 | New York (Manhattan) NY | 232.0 | 1 | Tupelo MS | 78.8 |
| 2 | Honolulu HI | 182.1 | 2 | Decatur IL | 79.1 |
| 3 | San Jose CA | 181.1 | 3 | Harlingen TX | 80.4 |
| 4 | Orange County CA | 161.7 | 4 | McAllen TX | 80.4 |
| 5 | San Francisco CA | 160.1 | 5 | Richmond IN | 80.5 |
| 6 | New York (Brooklyn) NY | 159.4 | 6 | Oklahoma City OK | 81.5 |
| 7 | New York (Queens) NY | 150.6 | 7 | Pittsburg KS | 81.7 |
| 8 | Los Angeles-Long Beach CA | 149.4 | 8 | Salina KS | 81.9 |
| 9 | San Diego CA | 146.1 | 9 | Muskogee OK | 82.5 |
| 10 | Boston MA | 144.8 | 10 | Ponca City OK | 82.8 |
READ THE FULL COLI Q2 2025 MEDIA RELEASE
Q3 of 2025:
| Most Expensive | Least Expensive | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COL | COL | ||||
| RANKING | URBAN AREAS | INDEX | RANKING | URBAN AREAS | INDEX |
| 1 | New York (Manhattan) NY | 232.5 | 1 | Tupelo MS | 78.2 |
| 2 | Honolulu HI | 179.7 | 2 | Harlingen TX | 79.6 |
| 3 | San Jose CA | 177.7 | 3 | McAllen TX | 80.7 |
| 4 | San Francisco CA | 164.1 | 4 | Amarillo TX | 80.9 |
| 5 | New York (Brooklyn) NY | 161.4 | 5 | Decatur IL | 81.1 |
| 6 | Orange County CA | 160.5 | 6 | Ashland OH | 81.8 |
| 7 | New York (Queens) NY | 151.7 | 7 | Oklahoma City OK | 81.9 |
| 8 | Boston MA | 150.8 | 8 | Pitsburg KS | 82.0 |
| 9 | Los Angeles-Long Beach CA | 150.6 | 9 | Muskogee OK | 82.0 |
| 10 | Nassau County NY | 147.6 | 10 | Anniston-Calhoun County AL |
82.1 |
READ THE FULL COLI Q3 2025 MEDIA RELEASE
