5 Most Expensive US States to Live in

                               

Businessmen don't just look at their own costs when deciding where to set up shop. They also look at the
costs for their employees and executives. After all, wages go further when the cost of living is low. That's why Cost of Living is one of the categories we measure as we rank America's Top States for Business. The higher the cost of living, the lower the score. Here are our rankings of America's most expensive states to live in, plus a sampling of the prices you'll pay for some basics in the most expensive area of the state. (Average price data based on Council for Community and Economic Research C2ER Cost of Living Index, Q1 2013.)


1. HAWAII



                              

Avg. Home Price (Honolulu Metro): $742,166

Half Gallon of Milk: $3.41

Pound of Ground Beef: $3.99

Monthly Energy Bill: $333.51

Doctor Visit: $101.80

2013 Cost of Living Rank: #50 (Most Expensive)

2013 Cost of Living Score: 1 (out of 50)

2012 Cost of Living Rank: #50


2. ALASKA



                                

Avg. Home Price (Anchorage Metro): $467,553

Half Gallon of Milk: $2.41

Pound of Ground Beef: $4.08

Monthly Energy Bill: $169.84

Doctor Visit: $159.20

2013 Cost of Living Rank: #49 (2nd Most Expensive)

2013 Cost of Living Score: 2 (out of 50)

2012 Cost of Living Rank: #49


3. CONNECTICUT


                              

Avg. Home Price (Stamford Metro): $585,000

Half Gallon of Milk: $2.77

Pound of Ground Beef: $4.07

Monthly Energy Bill: $236.01

Doctor Visit: $114.55

2013 Cost of Living Rank: #48 (3rd Most Expensive)

2013 Cost of Living Score: 3 (out of 50)

2012 Cost of Living Rank: #48


 4. NEW YORK




                              

Avg. Home Price (Manhattan): $1,351,400

Half Gallon of Milk: $2.42

Pound of Ground Beef: $4.71

Monthly Energy Bill: $237.01

Doctor Visit: $96.00

2013 Cost of Living Rank: #47 (4th Most Expensive)

2013 Cost of Living Score: 4 (out of 50)

2012 Cost of Living Rank: #47


5. NEW JERSEY


                                

Avg. Home Price (Bergen-Passaic Metro): $557,145

Half Gallon of Milk: $3.79

Pound of Ground Beef: $3.43

Monthly Energy Bill: $252.39

Doctor Visit: $103.20

2013 Cost of Living Rank: #46 (5th Most Expensive)

2013 Cost of Living Score: 5 (out of 50)

2012 Cost of Living Rank: #45

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