The cost of living varies wildly in some of the biggest cities across the USA, and can even fluctuate significantly within a single state.

City salaries are typically adjusted by about 23% (according to recent data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York) to help workers cover basic expenses. However, plenty more income is needed if employees want to pay off debt, set aside savings, or splurge on something non-essential – expenses deemed necessary for a 'comfortable' existence.

To get an idea of the cost of living challenge facing millions of Americans today, we’ve used data from SmartAsset to rank America's 20 biggest cities by population from least to most expensive, based on the amount of money a family of four needs to live comfortably.

Population data is based on 2023 US Census Bureau estimates and is limited to city rather than county or metropolitan area.