Cheapest Cities to Live in the U.S.
Ranked by cost-of-living index (U.S. = 100) and median rent. Top 50 cities where paychecks tend to stretch furthest.
Current lowest-cost city: Detroit, MI
This page ranks the cheapest cities in the U.S. using cost-of-living and housing data. Detroit currently leads this list, and the full ranking below shows other cities where monthly costs are relatively lower.
Detroit, MI
Top-ranked location at a glance
Current #1 in this ranking
In the model, a more affordable location like Detroit, MI has a cost-of-living index of 78.4 (U.S. = 100) and median rent around $983/mo. The estimated salary needed to live comfortably is about $39,300/yr, which is near the local median income; the biggest estimated monthly driver is Rent (housing). In this area (lower-cost), the model’s rent math puts housing in a “Moderate” bucket: rent is meaningful, so budgeting matters and rent (housing) is the main lever in the estimates.
Cost-of-living tier: low
What drives the budget here?
This area is generally lower-cost based on a cost-of-living index of 78.4 (U.S. average = 100). Typical rent-to-gross is in the Moderate range (using the page’s rent and income inputs).
In the site’s estimated monthly breakdown, the largest category is Rent (housing) (982.5/mo), so that’s the biggest lever for moving the overall budget up or down.
Practical next steps
- Rent is meaningful but still near the affordability guideline. A small move to a lower-rent neighborhood (or a higher gross income) can make the budget feel much steadier.
Browse the full ranking below.
Showing 50 cities
| # | City | State | COLI | Median rent | Median income | Est. salary to live |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit | MI | 78.4 | $983/mo | $39,575 | $39,300 |
| 2 | Cleveland | OH | 78.6 | $1,406/mo | $110,101 | $56,240 |
| 3 | Brownsville | TX | 79.8 | $854/mo | $51,334 | $34,160 |
| 4 | St. Louis | MO | 81.4 | $929/mo | $55,279 | $37,160 |
| 5 | Wichita | KS | 82.2 | $912/mo | $63,072 | $36,480 |
| 6 | Lubbock | TX | 82.4 | $1,080/mo | $60,487 | $43,200 |
| 7 | Memphis | TN | 82.5 | $1,067/mo | $51,211 | $42,680 |
| 8 | Tulsa | OK | 82.6 | $948/mo | $58,407 | $37,920 |
| 9 | Fort Wayne | IN | 82.8 | $911/mo | $60,293 | $36,440 |
| 10 | Montgomery | AL | 83.2 | $1,006/mo | $55,687 | $40,240 |
| 11 | Oklahoma City | OK | 83.8 | $1,029/mo | $66,702 | $41,160 |
| 12 | Little Rock | AR | 84.4 | $977/mo | $51,236 | $39,060 |
| 13 | Birmingham | AL | 84.6 | $1,372/mo | $191,128 | $54,860 |
| 14 | El Paso | TX | 85.2 | $989/mo | $58,734 | $39,560 |
| 15 | Cincinnati | OH | 86.2 | $906/mo | $51,707 | $36,220 |
| 16 | Kansas City | MO | 86.4 | $1,024/mo | $170,794 | $40,960 |
| 17 | Fayetteville | NC | 86.8 | $1,099/mo | $58,780 | $43,940 |
| 18 | Omaha | NE | 87.2 | $1,093/mo | $72,708 | $43,720 |
| 19 | Des Moines | IA | 87.6 | $1,002/mo | $63,966 | $40,060 |
| 20 | Milwaukee | WI | 88.2 | $982/mo | $51,888 | $39,260 |
| 21 | Newport News | VA | 88.2 | $1,221/mo | $66,718 | $48,820 |
| 22 | Rochester | NY | 88.4 | $987/mo | $46,628 | $39,480 |
| 23 | Chattanooga | TN | 88.6 | $1,098/mo | $61,028 | $43,900 |
| 24 | San Antonio | TX | 88.6 | $1,195/mo | $62,917 | $47,800 |
| 25 | Columbus | OH | 88.9 | $1,163/mo | $65,327 | $46,500 |
| 26 | Pittsburgh | PA | 89.6 | $906/mo | $50,833 | $36,220 |
| 27 | Albuquerque | NM | 89.6 | $1,031/mo | $65,604 | $41,220 |
| 28 | Fort Worth | TX | 90.4 | $1,342/mo | $76,602 | $53,660 |
| 29 | Grand Rapids | MI | 90.6 | $903/mo | $56,875 | $36,120 |
| 30 | Jacksonville | FL | 91.2 | $489/mo | $55,862 | $19,540 |
| 31 | Huntsville | AL | 91.4 | $1,024/mo | $70,778 | $40,960 |
| 32 | Houston | TX | 92.1 | $1,248/mo | $62,894 | $49,900 |
| 33 | Knoxville | TN | 92.2 | $1,061/mo | $50,994 | $42,420 |
| 34 | Baltimore | MD | 92.4 | $1,226/mo | $59,623 | $49,040 |
| 35 | Arlington | TX | 92.4 | $1,320/mo | $73,519 | $52,780 |
| 36 | Tallahassee | FL | 92.6 | $1,176/mo | $55,931 | $47,040 |
| 37 | Richmond | VA | 93.8 | $1,249/mo | $62,671 | $49,940 |
| 38 | Tucson | AZ | 94.2 | $1,097/mo | $67,929 | $43,860 |
| 39 | Spokane | WA | 94.6 | $1,084/mo | $65,745 | $43,360 |
| 40 | New Orleans | LA | 95.2 | $1,151/mo | $55,339 | $46,020 |
| 41 | Philadelphia | PA | 95.2 | $1,257/mo | $60,698 | $50,280 |
| 42 | Overland Park | KS | 95.4 | $1,383/mo | $103,838 | $55,300 |
| 43 | Charlotte | NC | 95.6 | $1,429/mo | $78,438 | $57,140 |
| 44 | Virginia Beach | VA | 95.8 | $1,567/mo | $90,685 | $62,660 |
| 45 | Cape Coral | FL | 96.2 | $1,517/mo | $73,099 | $60,680 |
| 46 | Dallas | TX | 96.8 | $1,333/mo | $67,760 | $53,320 |
| 47 | Tampa | FL | 98.2 | $1,489/mo | $71,302 | $59,540 |
| 48 | Minneapolis | MN | 98.2 | $1,622/mo | $103,382 | $64,860 |
| 49 | Chicago | IL | 98.3 | $1,323/mo | $56,815 | $52,900 |
| 50 | Orlando | FL | 98.4 | $1,568/mo | $69,268 | $62,720 |