Chicago is also quite expensive.
Might I suggest Eretz Yisroel (How about Haifa?) If not that, how about Atlanta, Cleveland or St. Louis? Denver also has great views and some very good Kosher Pizza.
You shouldn’t paint the entire Five Towns with one brushstroke; Lawrence is very different than Hewlett, for example.
Funny you say that. My relative in the “Five Towns” tells me that housing in Far Rockaway proper is significantly more expensive than Lawrence. Something to do with Real Estate taxes, and the more “Yeshivish” crowd wanting to live in Far Rockaway, driving the prices up.