It is hard to answer your question unless you provide more information as to what you are looking for. The United States is quite diverse so if you live in New York City, for example, you will have a different experience than if you lived in Los Angeles, Miami or Denver, Colorado.

Since you mentioned cost of living in your post, major cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Chicago, are popular destination for visitors from other countries, but are the most expensive cities in the country. The cost of living is lower in the south, so if you like the big city environment, look into Atlanta, GA or Dallas, TX.

This series of travel guides is somewhat aimed at budget travelers: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/

And there's a discussion forum, although it's now read only: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/americas-united-states-of-america/united-states

More mainstream: https://www.tripadvisor.com/