Honolulu, Hawaii

• Living costs: 92.7 per cent higher than the U.S. average
• The population of city: 347,181
• Median Household Income: $72,454
• Median home value: $707,400
• The rate of unemployed: 4.0%

To enjoy the benefits of living in a remote Pacific island paradise, Honolulu inhabitants pay higher prices than those in mainland areas for just about everything. And it isn’t easy to see the reason. Most of the products sold in Hawaii require delivery by air or boat, which increases the cost significantly.

Honolulu has the highest-priced grocery items out of the 262 cities surveyed in The Cost of Living Index. A container of tuna, for instance, is 31 per cent more expensive than U.S. national average. However, a dozen eggs will be 2.5 times more expensive. Bananas, for example, cost more than twice the national average.

Bills eat a lot, also. Utilities are 2.4 times higher than the consumers pay in the mainland U.S. mainland. Transportation and healthcare are between a fifth and a quarter of the cost compared to the U.S. average.

As always, housing is the most significant income-consuming activity. Costs associated with housing are over four times that of the national expenditure in Honolulu. The median house is priced at $1.5 million.

However, Hawaii is among the most welcoming states for families of the middle class and is also considered one of the most tax-friendly states for retirees.