BISMARCK, ND ( KXNET ) — As the cost of living continues to rise across the country, a question that arises is which cities are cheapest and most expensive to live in within your state.

A study done by Doxo , an online bill-paying website, attempts to answer that question for North Dakotans.

As a whole, North Dakota ranks as the 33rd most expensive state in the U.S. for household bills. The Peace Garden State’s household expenses are $23,673 per year on average, which is 7% lower than the US average of $25,513.

The area where North Dakota’s spending is the lowest compared to the national average is rent, which is at $917/month in North Dakota, almost $400 lower than the national average. On the flip side of that, North Dakotans spend on average $208/month on health insurance, which is nearly twice as much as the national average of $114/month.

When it comes to specific cities in North Dakota, Doxo compiled a list of 11 cities in the state, and ranked them from most to least expensive.

Coming in at most expensive is Williston, where monthly bill expenses exceed $2,500. Watford City, Bismarck, Mandan, Minot, Dickinson and Grand Forks all exceed $2,000 in monthly expenses as well, peaking at $2,317 with Watford City.

The most affordable city on the list is Jamestown, where bills are just $1,674 on average. People in Jamestown also have the lowest income of anyone on this list at $57,271. Devils Lake, Fargo and West Fargo also have expenses less than $2,000/month.

Grand Forks, while being the seventh highest on the list, is at the top when it comes to the greatest percentage of income used on bills, coming it at 39%. This is where income is third lowest at just over $62,000.

West Fargo, which is 8th on the overall list, is the only city where people spend less than 30% of their monthly income on bills. There, they spend only 23% on these expenses. This is also where the average income is the highest at over $97,000.

North Dakota has a wide range of cities to choose from in terms of cost of living. As the numbers above demonstrate, in Williston, the average cost of bills is 22% higher than the national average, whereas in Jamestown, it’s 21% lower than the national average.

So, if you’re looking to move to a city a little bit cheaper (or more expensive), consider the percentage of your income that you would have to use on your bills. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 30% of your income is the recommended maximum to use on rent. Staying in that range could be the key to finding a place you can afford.

To see the full list of the 11 cities studied, visit the Doxo website .

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