With student loans and other forms of debt looming, it's worth taking a look at the other side of the cost of living - daily expenses and living wages. This infographic compares the median income in cities across the United States with the cost of living there to illustrate what the real cost of living in America is. Source: https://www.edq.com/data-quality-infographics/cost-of-living-in-america/ You can also find a great companion blog post by following the source link. It goes into more detail about the cost of rent, groceries, etc across the US.