How high and low-income Americans spend their money can be remarkably different. While the wealthy can afford to splash out on things like education, entertainment, and pensions, less affluent households have to allocate a much larger chunk of their earnings to basics such as housing, groceries, and utilities. Using data collated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we reveal how much of their income the richest 10% and poorest 10% spend on key items, from food to gasoline.

The most moneyed Americans devote 29.6% of their annual income to housing, which averages out at some $33,027, more than what most working-class people earn in a year. The wealthy are far more likely than the bottom 10% to own their property, and live in larger, higher-quality homes that are often in more upscale neighborhoods.

In contrast, the least affluent spend 39.8% of their yearly income or $9,890 on housing. Renters make up a much larger proportion of the poorest 10%, and they tend to live in smaller properties in areas with higher crime, under-performing schools and higher pollution rates. The quality of housing is more mediocre too – 5.6% of Americans live in mobile homes while 1.2 million households rely on public housing.

The most affluent Americans spend a 20th of their income to groceries. The richest people in the country eat significantly more fruit and vegetables than the poorest 10%. They can afford to shop at the country's finest supermarkets and grocery stores, and splurge on organic produce, fresh fish, and grass-fed, hormone-free meat.

Those on lower incomes typically have a poorer diet than the wealthiest in the nation, but spend almost double the proportion of their income on groceries. Often, the healthiest foods are the most expensive, and poorer neighborhoods don't stock as much healthy food but in fact tend to have more fast-food outlets, according to a report by the Food Research & Action Center. So as well as eating fewer fruit and vegetables, wholegrains and nuts, the poorer 10% have a much higher intake of sugary sodas and high-fat foods, and needless to say, a much higher rate of obesity. 

Dining at fancy restaurants is pretty much a given if you're among the richest 10% of Americans. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the wealthiest people in the country devote 5.4% of their income to eating out, which isn't significantly less proportionally than what the poorest spend.

The difference is in the quality of the food. Poorer folks are likely to opt for calorific fast-food with minimal nutritional benefits, while richer Americans tend to eat less junk food and opt for more healthy food out.This is one of the main reasons those in the poorest 10% tend to be overweight.

We often think of alcoholism as a problem of the poor, but binge and heavy drinking are actually more pronounced among wealthier people with higher levels of education. This is backed up by the data which shows the richest 10% in the country spend 1.1% of their income on booze.

On the opposite end of the scale, the poorest Americans spend less of their income on liquor. A recent Gallup poll found that just 45% of adults who earn less than $30,000 a year drink alcohol. The same survey reported that the figure for over-21s pulling in incomes greater than $75,000 per year is an eyebrow-raising 78%.

As might be expected, the wealthiest Americans spend a tiny proportion of their earnings – just 1.4% – on electricity, and have no problem meeting the cost of powering their lighting, heating, central air, and appliances.

The poorest 10% devote considerably more of their income to their electricity needs. A study carried out last year by the Energy Information Administration found that 31% of US households struggle to pay energy bills and as many as 10% kept their homes at unsafe temperatures, either too cold in winter or uncomfortably hot during the summertime.

America's richest 10% spend a similar chunk of their income on their cellphone service. Compared to the poor, they can afford more generous calling and mobile data allowances, not to mention flashier smartphones.

The poorest spend more of their income on their cellphones than the richest 10%. But, they are slightly less likely to even own a cellphone: 92% of adults earning less than $30,000 a year own a cellphone compared to 98% with an annual income of $75,000 or above.

When it comes to expenditure on household furnishings and equipment, the percentage of income spent is more or less the same for both the richest 10% and poorest 10%. In fact, there's only a 0.1 percentage point between them.

Yet, like the other areas covered, the quality of the products bought by the two contrasting income brackets differs wildly. Richer Americans can afford to go high-end and splurge on luxe furnishings and equipment. The poorest have to make do with cheaper alternatives.

Clothing is another essential on which both rich and poor spend a similar proportion of their income. However the average yearly expenditure on apparel and services such as dry cleaning and tailoring amounts to a hefty $4,025 among the wealthiest 10% who are more likely to buy designer and other expensive clothing, and get their garments dry cleaned on a regular basis.

The poorest 10% on the other hand have an average clothing spend per year of $776. Unlike the wealthiest people in society, they no doubt spend more time browsing in budget stores and hunting for bargain deals, limit dry cleaning, and are more likely to repair clothing themselves.

The wealthiest Americans allocate 6.8% of their income to vehicle purchases, which is more than the poorest 10%. A study by market research firm MaritzCX found that the Ford F-150 pickup truck is the most popular vehicle for people earning $200,000+ a year, while those on more than $400,000 prefer luxury vehicles like the Lexus RX 350.

The poorest 10% could only dream of driving a souped-up Lexus SUV. Many settle for smaller, older, second-hand models. But vehicle ownership rates among the lowest-income Americans are pretty high. Only 20% of people in poverty don't have access to a car according to an analysis of US Census data by Governing.

Running a large pickup truck, SUV, or luxury sportscar doesn't come cheap, but the richest 10% spend just 2.1% of their income on gas, other fuels, and motor oil. Studies show the wealthy also drive a lot more than low-income Americans.

In fact, the poorest 10% drive over 50% less than the richest Americans according to research by Purdue University, but despite accruing fewer miles and driving vehicles that guzzle less gas, they devote more of their income to gas, other fuels, and motor oil.

Maintaining a large pickup truck, SUV, or luxury sportscar is a costly process, and the richest in society tend to make sure their vehicle – or vehicles, as they often own more than one are – is in perfect working order. To pull this off, the top 10% spend 1.8% of their income on maintaining a vehicle.

The poorest 10% devote less of their income to maintaining their vehicle and paying for repairs, and as a result, their ride may not be in the best shape. Fortunately, a slew of local and national organizations offer cash-strapped people financial assistance for repairs, including the Modest Needs Foundation and Working Cars For Working Families.

Though they drive higher-end cars and other vehicles that are expensive to insure, the richest 10% spend just 1.1% of their income on auto insurance. They often benefit from living in low-crime neighborhoods, and having vehicles with extra safety and security features, which drive down costs.

The poorest 10% own cheaper cars and frequently opt for basic liability coverage, but they still spend more proportionally on auto insurance than the wealthy. Low-income drivers tend to live in areas with higher vehicle theft rates, a factor that can hike up premiums considerably.

The rich actually spend more proportionally than the poorest 10% on public and other transportation, which may come as a surprise, but it's worth bearing in mind wealthy people tend to take a lot of taxis and may use intercity trains to commute.

The poorest 10% spend just 1.1% of their income on public and other transportation. They are more likely to take buses than the wealthy, and less likely to use taxis and other more pricey forms of public transportation.

America's most affluent 10% can afford gold-plated healthcare plans with comprehensive coverage. Their average spend per year works out at $7,048, which represents 6.1% of the typical income for people in the top bracket.

The poor aren't quite so fortunate. Their average spend per year is $1,930, which is 8.5% of the typical income. The bottom 10% are often underinsured but the rate of uninsured Americans has dropped since the passage of the Affordable Care Act. Still, the rich have a higher life expectancy. Shockingly, the highest-income Americans live 10 years longer than the poorest.

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The wealthiest in society have plenty of disposable income for leisure activities. The richest 10% allocate 6.1% of their earnings to entertainment, be it theater outings, concerts, golf club membership or Netflix and HBO subscriptions. Their average expenditure per year is $5,919.

The poorest 10% devote less of their income to entertainment than might be expected. Their expenditure totals $1,270 every year on average, as the types of leisure activities they choose have to be more affordable.

America's richest 10% can afford to pamper themselves. They spend 1.1% of their income on personal care products and services, from pricey skincare products to hair and nail appointments. This translates to $1,331 per year typically.

Low-income folks allocate more of their income to personal care products and services, but spend a lot less than the richest 10%. Their annual expenditure in this area amounts to just $307, meaning they tend to opt for much cheaper products and services.

The wealthiest 10% of Americans spend on education, but not as much as you might expect for people who can afford  private schools and colleges. Their average yearly expenditure is $3,779.

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On the opposite end of the scale, the poorest 10% and the children of America's least affluent are less likely to attend private schools and colleges, and if they do make it to university, they are more likely to choose affordable community colleges. Their education spend per year averages only $689.

Smoking is less prevalent among the richest Americans. All in all, the wealthiest in society spend just 0.2% of their income on tobacco products and smoking supplies. The typical spend per year in this group is $332.

Studies show that nearly three in four smokers in America are from lower-income communities. So it comes as no surprise that the poorest 10% spend a much larger proportion of their income on tobacco products and smoking supplies compared to the rich.

The largest disparity in our round-up is the proportion of income spent on personal insurance and pensions. The richest 10% spend $17,699 a year typically in this area, almost 30 times more than the poorest 10%.

Unlike the richest 10%, the lowest-income Americans have far less financial security. They are generally unable to guard against being off work and losing income or plan for a comfortable retirement free from money stresses and strains. Their typical spend per year in this area is just $592.

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