I live in Massachusetts, its a beautiful state and probably one of the only parts of the country that could be considered "first world". If you don't have the cash for the greater Boston area, cities like Lowell, Worcester, even Springfield have lots of job opportunities where you could make a living.
Western mass and the Berkshire mountains are beautiful and real estate is cheap, but be warned there's not much opportunity and most towns seem to be in decline.
Also lots of benefits like Medicare and a higher minimum wage can make life easier as well. I even get a $30 credit for internet although that might be a federal program.
Edit: forgot about college we have pretty cheap state schools and community colleges, if you're a high achiever you could also get a free ride to some of the most pretentious universities in the world lol
(they're just schools but the name will look better when it's time to sell your labor hours 😭)