Which state has the lowest cost of living?

The cheapest US states by CostLiving’s moderate lifestyle benchmark sit in the South and lower Midwest: Mississippi ($3,025), Alabama ($3,100), West Virginia ($3,100), Tennessee ($3,175), and Arkansas ($3,175) lead the list. New Hampshire is not among them: its $3,900 per person per month moderate benchmark sits above the US average ($3,525), reflecting its proximity to Boston and tighter housing markets in the south of the state. NH offsets some of that with no income or sales tax, which favours higher earners. For someone optimising for the lowest absolute monthly cost, the cheapest options lean Deep South or Appalachian. For the full NH picture and how it compares, see our New Hampshire cost of living page.