Just looked into which states are actually killing your wallet when it comes to cost of living, and the numbers are pretty wild. Using 2022 spending data, I found some seriously expensive states to live in across America.

Hawaii absolutely dominates the list – we're talking a $132k annual cost of living, nearly $60k above the national average. That island life comes with a price tag. Washington D.C. follows close behind at $109k annually, though technically it's not a state. If you're on the East Coast, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Connecticut are all in the $83-104k range, with utilities being the main culprit in most of these places.

What surprised me is how utilities specifically wreck your budget. Connecticut and Massachusetts both hit around $18k annually just for power and heating – that's way higher than the national average of $14,507. Vermont has similar issues because of its location on the energy pipeline. Alaska's healthcare costs are the real shocker though – 52% above average due to limited medical competition.

California rounds out the top tier at $102k, mostly because gas and transportation are brutal there. Rhode Island and Vermont also made the list despite being smaller states.

The ranking basically comes down to housing, utilities, groceries, healthcare, and transportation. If you're thinking about relocating, these expensive states to live in should definitely factor into your decision. The difference between living here versus cheaper areas could be $30-60k annually – that's huge.