San Francisco, California

San Francisco, California has become known for its exorbitant cost of living. It should come as no surprise that it is towards the top of this list. San Francisco has some of the highest household earnings in the country, thanks to a thriving tech economy. Even programmers earning six figures have been priced out of a real estate market where the average home value is at $1.34 million.

In fact, San Francisco is one of the most expensive areas in the United States to buy a property. Furthermore, the median property price and median monthly rent in the city are both four times higher than the national average. Much of this is due to the fact that the city is surrounded by water, as well as local zoning restrictions that limit construction heights to 40 feet in most districts.

Cost of Living: 94.7% higher than U.S. average