Tupelo, Mississippi has the lowest cost of living index in the nation. (No, really!)
Among the 272 urban areas that participated in the third quarter of the 2025 Cost of Living Index, the after-tax cost for a professional/managerial standard of living ranged from more than twice the national average in New York (Manhattan), NY to more than 20 percent below the national average in Tupelo, MS.
The Cost of Living Index is published quarterly by C2ER – The Council for Community and Economic Research.
