Do you live in one of America's most expensive cities?

Check the list below to find out. According to rankings from the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association, New York is king of the hill, top of the heap. But a few others might surprise you.

Cost of living comparisons are based on an average of $100,000. So if you live in San Diego, you'll need $129,000 to achieve an average lifestyle.

What about New York? At $208,000, you need more than twice the average.

10. Seattle $116,000

9. Ann Arbor $121,000

8. Fairbanks $127,000

7. Los Angeles $127,000

6. Philadelphia $128,000

5. San Diego $129,000

4. Anchorage $129,000

3. Juneau $133,000

2. Boston $142,000

1. New York $208,000

With skyrocketing gasoline and food prices, anywhere you live can feel like the most expensive city in America.

That might explain why payday loans are becoming so popular. According to Cypress Research Group, nearly 65 percent of payday loan users are women and most are married. Six out of 10 payday loan customers are homeowners and 65 percent have household incomes between $25,000 and $75,000 a year.

So why are people turning to payday loans in a down economy?

Cypress Research says most are taking loans to help with unexpected expenses. And, no surprise, to avoid late charges on bills also ranks high along with avoiding bounced checks.

Not surprising considering that the fee on a typical two-week payday cash advance is $30, according to the Consumer Credit Research Foundation, while a single bounced check usually will cost you $45??"and we all know they come in bunches. As the consumer group also points out, credit card late fees can be the equivalent of 5,292 percent in interest!

A payday advance is a small short-term loan without collateral usually repaid on the borrower's next payday. Typically, a customer uses a payday loan to cover small, unexpected, expenses between paydays to avoid expensive fees on bounced checks, penalties on late bill payments, overdraft charges and other less desirable short-term credit options.

Industry analysts estimate that more than 22,000 payday advance locations across the United States extend about $40 billion in short-term credit to millions of middle-class households that experience cash-flow shortfalls between paydays.

Sites like PayDayFinder.com allow people to find nearby brick-and-mortar locations so they can comparison shop for the best payday loan rates.

Faithful repayment of these cash-advance loans can help those with limited credit histories ??" like recent college graduates ??" establish their credit worthiness.