If you live in these US states it'd be cheaper to live on a cruise ship full time than to live in a regular household

Cruise ship living may seem like the height of luxury, but it turns out that it can actually be cheaper than living in many US states.

In recent years, we’ve seen more and more people deserting life on land and living full time on a cruise ship.

Time and time again, people have cited expensive living costs as their motivation.

But just how much more expensive is it to live in the US than on a cruise ship? We took a closer look.

Why more people are living on cruise ships these days

It’s not just here on Supercar Blondie that the growing trend of living on a cruise ship has been noticed.

This unorthodox living arrangement has picked up coverage from a range of other media outlets.

Many motivations are cited behind this drastic change in lifestyle, including the opportunity to see the world and meet new people.

But another consistent thing has been the matter of money.

For some people, this way of living is more affordable than living back on land.

But what are the actual living costs?

How much does it cost to live on a cruise ship?

One woman living on a cruise ship estimated her annual cost of living was around $39,000 a year – $3,250 a month.

For another cruise ship resident, he estimated he was spending between $70,000 and $100,000 a year – which comes out between $5,833 and $8,333 a month.

Costs were significantly lower for one woman put her monthly living expenses at $2,721.

One couple said their cruise ship lifestyle cost them $5,100 a month.

So, as you can see, there’s some slight variation in costs, ranging from around $3,000 up to $8,000 at the extreme end.

In which US states would you be paying more to live than on a cruise ship?

If you live in Hawaii, you’re likely enjoying a lot of benefits – sunny weather, and beautiful beaches, to take just two.

But you’re also living in the most expensive state in the US, with average monthly costs coming in at $11,947 a month, according to figures from MERIC Cost of Living Index reports, BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

In second place is Massachusetts, that figure is $9,137.

The full list makes for illuminating reading.

Our list – which includes territories like Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia – is rounded off by Oklahoma, where the average household costs comes out at $5,337.

What’s startling is that even the cheapest state to live in is more expensive than most of the cruise ship lifestyles we listed above.

Only in one scenario (Mario Salcedo, living on the Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas), did Oklahoma and other states on the lower end of the scale win out in affordability.

Why exactly is this the case?

Americans living on land have a lot of costs to stay on top of, whether that’s energy for their homes, healthcare bills, or increasing grocery prices.

One data tracker found that nearly half of American families can’t afford the cost of living, with the price of essential goods and services rising faster than wages.

Some of these are concerns that cruise ship livers get to waive on account of living out at sea.

Does that mean you should sell your house and set sail?

Far be it from us to dispense life advice, but we’d hang fire until you do your own research and plan accordingly.

After all, everyone’s situation will be different.

Living costs by US state (Plus District of Columbia and Puerto Rico)

Rank	State / Jurisdiction	Cost of Living Index (US Avg = 100)	Estimated Avg Monthly Cost (Household)
1	Hawaii	185.8	$11,947
2	Massachusetts	142.1	$9,137
3	California	140.3	$9,021
4	District of Columbia	133.8	$8,603
5	New York	132.6	$8,526
6	Alaska	124.5	$8,005
7	New Jersey	119.2	$7,665
8	Maryland	118.8	$7,639
9	Washington	115.1	$7,401
10	Vermont	113.4	$7,292
11	Maine	112.9	$7,260
12	Rhode Island	110.9	$7,131
13	Oregon	110.4	$7,099
14	Arizona	108.6	$6,983
15	New Hampshire	108.5	$6,977
16	Montana	106.0	$6,816
17	Nevada	105.4	$6,777
18	Connecticut	103.6	$6,661
19	Colorado	102.7	$6,604
20	Puerto Rico	101.1	$6,501
21	Florida	100.8	$6,481
22	Delaware	100.6	$6,469
23	Idaho	99.4	$6,391
24	Virginia	99.0	$6,366
25	Utah	98.4	$6,327
26	North Carolina	96.7	$6,218
27	Wisconsin	95.7	$6,154
28	Pennsylvania	95.3	$6,128
29	Illinois	94.5	$6,076
30	Wyoming	94.4	$6,070
31	Kentucky	94.0	$6,044
32	South Dakota	93.5	$6,012
33	Minnesota	93.4	$6,006
34	Ohio	93.0	$5,979
35	South Carolina	92.7	$5,960
36	Michigan	92.1	$5,922
37	Louisiana	91.3	$5,871
38	Texas	90.8	$5,838
39	North Dakota	90.5	$5,819
40	New Mexico	90.2	$5,800
41	Nebraska	90.1	$5,793
42	Georgia	90.1	$5,793
43	Tennessee	89.7	$5,768
44	Indiana	89.7	$5,768
45	Arkansas	89.0	$5,723
46	Missouri	88.2	$5,671
47	Mississippi	87.4	$5,620
48	Kansas	87.1	$5,601
49	West Virginia	87.0	$5,594
50	Iowa	86.1	$5,536
51	Alabama	86.0	$5,530
52	Oklahoma	83.0	$5,337

Sourced from: MERIC Cost of Living Index reports, BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics