Regional price parity is an index that sets the national average cost of goods and services at 100, with a particular region's RPP showing how the cost of living in that region compares with that average.
For example, the New York metropolitan area had an RPP of 122 in 2016, meaning the city and its suburbs are about 22% more expensive than the national average.
Meanwhile, Beckley, West Virginia, had an RPP of 78.8, meaning goods and services cost about four-fifths as much as the national average.
Here's a map illustrating the RPP of the country's metropolitan areas and of the parts of states that fall outside of them. Regions in blue are less expensive than the national average, with darker areas indicating the lowest relative cost of living. Those in red are more expensive than average, with darker red showing a higher cost of living.
And here are the 10 most expensive (in red) and least expensive (in blue) metro areas in the US:
Here are the 40 largest metro areas by 2016 population, ranked from most to least expensive, along with their overall regional price parities and RPPs for goods, rent, and non-rent services. Much, but not all, of the disparity in prices among cities comes from rent, rather than other goods and services:
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Overall regional price parity: 127.1
Non-rent services RPP: 110.7
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
Overall regional price parity: 124.7
Non-rent services RPP: 111.0
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
Overall regional price parity: 122.0
Non-rent services RPP: 115.9
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Overall regional price parity: 119.1
Non-rent services RPP: 110.7
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Anton_Ivanov/Shutterstock
Overall regional price parity: 117.7
Non-rent services RPP: 107.4
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA
Overall regional price parity: 116.3
Non-rent services RPP: 105.6
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
Overall regional price parity: 111.1
Non-rent services RPP: 107.2
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
Overall regional price parity: 110.5
Non-rent services RPP: 104.0
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
FashionStock.com/Shutterstock
Overall regional price parity: 107.6
Non-rent services RPP: 100.9
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
Overall regional price parity: 107.4
Non-rent services RPP: 106.8
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
Overall regional price parity: 107.2
Non-rent services RPP: 105.2
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO
Overall regional price parity: 106.0
Non-rent services RPP: 99.3
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Overall regional price parity: 105.9
Non-rent services RPP: 107.9
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
Sarah Jacobs/Business Insider
Overall regional price parity: 103.8
Non-rent services RPP: 102.2
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
Overall regional price parity: 102.3
Non-rent services RPP: 96.7
Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA
Overall regional price parity: 102.0
Non-rent services RPP: 102.0
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
Shutterstock/Josemaria Toscano
Overall regional price parity: 101.7
Non-rent services RPP: 97.5
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
Overall regional price parity: 101.6
Non-rent services RPP: 107.3
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Overall regional price parity: 100.2
Non-rent services RPP: 99.9
Austin-Round Rock, TX
Overall regional price parity: 100.0
Non-rent services RPP: 93.4
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
Overall regional price parity: 99.8
Non-rent services RPP: 101.8
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA
Overall regional price parity: 99.7
Non-rent services RPP: 101.9
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
Kent Phillips/Disney Parks via Getty Images
Overall regional price parity: 98.0
Non-rent services RPP: 93.4
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC
Patrickneil / Wikimedia Commons
Overall regional price parity: 97.9
Non-rent services RPP: 93.4
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV
Overall regional price parity: 97.8
Non-rent services RPP: 102.0
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
Overall regional price parity: 97.1
Non-rent services RPP: 96.5
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
Overall regional price parity: 96.3
Non-rent services RPP: 95.9
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
Overall regional price parity: 95.9
Non-rent services RPP: 99.3
Jacksonville, FL
Logan Bowles/Getty Images
Overall regional price parity: 95.8
Non-rent services RPP: 93.4
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI
Overall regional price parity: 95.6
Non-rent services RPP: 95.8
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
Overall regional price parity: 94.4
Non-rent services RPP: 93.4
Nashville-DavidsonMurfreesboroFranklin, TN
Mark Skalny / Shutterstock.com
Overall regional price parity: 94.4
Non-rent services RPP: 93.4
Pittsburgh, PA
ESB Professional/Shutterstock
Overall regional price parity: 94.3
Non-rent services RPP: 98.1
Kansas City, MO-KS
User:Charvex / Wikimedia Commons
Overall regional price parity: 93.7
Non-rent services RPP: 97.1
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
Overall regional price parity: 93.5
Non-rent services RPP: 93.4
Columbus, OH
Overall regional price parity: 93.0
Non-rent services RPP: 93.4
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN
Overall regional price parity: 92.8
Non-rent services RPP: 93.5
St. Louis, MO-IL
Overall regional price parity: 90.8
Non-rent services RPP: 91.4
Cleveland-Elyria, OH
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Overall regional price parity: 90.2
Non-rent services RPP: 90.9
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
Overall regional price parity: 89.6
Non-rent services RPP: 90.9
SEE ALSO: The 3 most commonly spoken languages in every New York City neighborhood