I think this varies greatly depending on where one lives. In some places a three bedroom house can be purchased for USD165,000 and in other parts of the country the same house may cost USD400,000. In some areas it may be necessary to own a car and in others public transit may be cheap and plentiful. And there are lots of other factors. Check out the Cost of Living Calculator/Comparison at http://www.bestplaces.net/col/