Actually, on the topic of the general cost of living in US, it's become really noticeably expensive in the last 5 or so years. The cost of food in supermarkets is shocking and the quality has certainly declined. As for hotels... It's easy enough to get a decent enough Premier Inn or Travelodge cheaply in the UK, but a cheap hotel in the US can be quite a shocking experience!
So with that in mind, I'm not sure it's the bargain it once was. I could be wrong though!