text: how much is the living cost of an average north-american?   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/