Inflation in the United States is at a 40-year-high, with gas prices, food and rent continuing to surge. While every state is experiencing rising costs, there are some places that are more affordable than others, where working families get more bang for their buck. Hawaii is not one of those places. In fact, the Aloha state was ranked again this year as the most expensive state in which to live. Prices are typically double those on the mainland, with even office visits to the doctor being 65% higher. To give you some perspective, the average house in Hawaii is $1.3 million, monthly electric bills average $370, and a gallon of milk will set you back $7.84. Compare that with the cheapest state to live in, Mississippi, where the average home sells for $140,000, the average electric bill is $128, and a gallon of milk costs $3.59. The reason for Hawaii’s high cost of living stems from the island's location. Hawaii is essentially an archipelago that’s cut off from the mainland, which means everything you need there has to be either shipped or flown into the state. Shipping costs, taxes and profit margin are all factored into the price of products, so prices are inevitably high. To make things worse, land is limited so there’s high demand, which drives real estate prices up. Finally, Hawaii imposes a number of taxes that drive up the cost of living for residents, and those taxes are also double those of living on the mainland.
