What is the biggest expense for the average household?
Emma Jordan
Published Feb 19, 2026
When it comes to the fluctuations in household expenses across states, the largest four — mortgage, rent, utilities and auto loans — drive the majority of the differences, says Jim Kreyenhagen, VP of marketing and consumer services at doxo.
What is the average person’s biggest expense?
The average American household spends $5,102 every month. Housing is the largest single category, accounting for 33% of monthly expenses. Transportation was the second-most expensive category at 16%.
What is the largest expense for most people?
What’s Your Largest Ongoing Living Expense? Taxes Of Course!
- Housing (rent or mortgage)
- Car (loan payments and interest)
- Education or Child Care (student loans or child schooling)
What is the biggest expenses of the family?
The Most Common & Highest Expenses in the Family Budget
- Housing. Housing is generally the largest item in a family budget.
- Food. When you were a kid, it likely seemed that your refrigerator was magically restocked by kitchen-servicing elves.
- Vehicles.
- Education Costs.
- Child Care.
What is the most expensive monthly expense?
Top 25 Metro Average Spend of the Most Common Monthly Bills Paid, Most to Least Expensive:
- Auto Loans: $373.
- Utilities: $290.
- Auto Insurance: $187.
- Health Insurance: $98.
- Life Insurance: $78.
- Cable, Satellite, Internet & Phone: $109.
- Mobile Phone: $88.
- Alarm & Security: $77.
What is the most expensive expense?
Here are the seven things these CFPs say will cost Americans the most.
- Buying and selling a house.
- College education or graduate school.
- A vacation home.
- Taxes.
- A new car.
- Furnishing a new home.
- Health insurance. For those buying their own health insurance, it can be more costly than many realize.
What is the biggest expense?
In fact, housing continues to be most Americans’ greatest monthly expense, and back in 2013, it accounted for 16% of the typical household’s budget. And that’s actually not a terrible number. Generally speaking, it’s best to keep your housing costs at or below 30% of your take-home pay.
How much does it cost the average person to live per month?
The Average Monthly Expenses of an American Is: $5,102 Consumer units, according to the BLS, include families, a single individual living alone, or sharing a home with others but who don’t depend on another financially, or two more persons living in the same place and share major expenses.
Where is the cheapest place to retire in the world?
Here are the 10 most affordable places to retire overseas in 2021.
- Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Monthly budget: $1,660.
- Pedasi, Panama. Monthly budget: $1,600.
- Northern Belize. Monthly budget: $1,600.
- Corfu, Greece. Monthly budget: $1,500.
- Popoli, Italy.
- George Town, Malaysia.
- Cuenca, Ecuador.
- Canggu (Bali), Indonesia.