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- Living in the suburbs can be extremely expensive, and often in unexpected ways.
- Some of the hidden costs of suburban life include sky-high transportation expenses and pricey groceries.
- Here are six of the worst hidden costs of living in the suburbs.
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I've lived most of my life in the suburbs.
I was raised just outside Washington, DC, in Alexandria, Virginia. My wife and I settled in Glendale, California, a few miles from the center of Los Angeles, and now we live in a suburban neighborhood a short train ride from Manhattan.
If living most of my life in suburban areas adjacent to major cities has taught me anything, it's that suburban living can be extremely expensive, and often in unexpected ways.
Homeownership is more common in suburban areas than in urban settings, and much of the costs associated with suburban living are therefore predictable. The costs you might not have anticipated when settling just outside the city, however, accrue slowly over time and in sudden and unexpected ways.
Whether you own or rent a home, living in the suburbs of most major cities is more expensive than living in the city itself, according to a survey conducted by Zillow late last year (even if urban property is usually much more expensive).
But you probably expect mortgage and maintenance costs. The following expenses, not so much.
Here are the hidden costs of living in the suburbs that most people don't see coming.