US Cities with the Lowest Cost of Living in 2025

Americans are struggling financially. Just 6% say they're able to put money into savings, and 12% can't afford to even pay for the basics.¹ Between lingering inflation, stagnant wages, and economic concerns, it can feel like you're stuck spinning your wheels waiting for the system to fix itself.

But you may have more power over this situation than you realize. Moving to an area with a lower cost of living could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars per month. We analyzed cost data for 674 U.S. metros and counties to find those with the highest and lowest cost of living to help you research new possibilities.

Of course, this is only part of the picture—wages may be lower in areas with low costs of living, so you still need to be mindful of how you'll pay the bills. But let's take a look at how costs differ around the country, both state-by-state and city-by-city.

The following city and state rankings are based on cost data for households consisting of two adults and one child. The average U.S. household has 2.5 people, so we rounded up. Rankings change slightly when comparing other household sizes.

• It costs over $14,000 per month for two adults and one child to live in the top 2 cities with the highest cost of living: Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA and San Francisco, CA. That's more than double the cost of living in the most affordable city in the U.S., Brownsville-Harlingen, TX.
• The top 3 cities with the highest cost of living also pay the most rent and taxes. 
• Child care costs the most in San Francisco, CA (about $2,260 per month for one child) and the least in Cooper County, MO (about $375 per month for one child). 
• None of the 10 cities with the highest cost of living have the highest transportation or utility expenses.
• Residents of Westchester County, NY pay the highest healthcare costs of anyone living in the 10 cities with the highest cost of living.
• San Francisco, CA; Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA; and Napa, CA appear on the top 10 list of cities with the highest cost of living and the top 10 list of cities with the highest food costs. 
• People in the top 10 cities with the lowest cost of living tend to spend more on transportation than any other category. 
• None of the 10 cities with the lowest cost of living have the lowest healthcare costs.

1.   Brownsville-Harlingen, TX

• Housing: $994
• Food: $682
• Transportation: $1,367
• Healthcare: $949
• Other necessities: $564
• Childcare: $710
• Utilities: $605
• Taxes: $526
• Monthly total: $6,396

We’re starting off our list of the most affordable cities with Brownsville-Harlingen, one of two Texan metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) that made it into our top 10. While some of Brownsville-Harligen's monthly costs were about average compared to the other top 10, the tax burden in this city was the lowest of any we looked into, solidifying its spot as the most affordable city in the US.

2.   McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX

• Housing: $1,006
• Food: $680
• Transportation: $1,401
• Healthcare: $979
• Other necessities: $567
• Childcare: $661
• Utilities: $605
• Taxes: $531
• Monthly total: $6,429

The McAllen, TX area has appeared on previous editions of this list, and prices continued to remain affordable in 2025. Child care costs less in McAllen than in Brownsville, but slightly higher housing, healthcare, and transportation costs push McAllen into second place overall. 

3. Rockingham County, NC

• Housing: $962
• Food: $728
• Transportation: $1,427
• Healthcare: $1,094
• Other necessities: $569
• Childcare: $460
• Utilities: $511
• Taxes: $709
• Monthly total: $6,459

Rockingham County, NC is located just north of Greensboro along the Virginia-North Carolina border. It has one of the lowest child care costs in the nation and its utilities cost less than the national average, and rent is typically below $1,000. Higher taxes, food prices, and transportation costs help Rockingham County land in third place. 

4. Franklin County, AR

• Housing: $838
• Food: $691
• Transportation: $1,509
• Healthcare: $1,241
• Other necessities: $514
• Childcare: $478
• Utilities: $504
• Taxes: $697
• Monthly total: $6,471

Located in western Arkansas, Franklin County is bisected by both the Arkansas River and I-40. People living here enjoy some of the lowest housing, child care, food, and utility costs in the nation, but they pay above-average for transportation. 

5. Johnstown, PA

• Housing: $889
• Food: $796
• Transportation: $1,350
• Healthcare: $1,000
• Other necessities: $567
• Childcare: $658
• Utilities: $531
• Taxes: $700
• Monthly total: $6,491

Residents of Johnstown, PA pay the highest grocery bills of anyone living in the 10 most affordable U.S. cities, but low-cost utilities, healthcare, and housing balance out the average cost of living in this mountain town.

6.   Campbell County, TN

• Housing: $939
• Food: $772
• Transportation: $1,413
• Healthcare: $1,203
• Other necessities: $576
• Childcare: $546
• Utilities: $550
• Taxes: $563
• Monthly total: $6,563

Located northwest of Knoxville along the Kentucky border, Campbell County, TN boasts housing prices well below the national average. You’ll pay less for child care and utilities here than in Brownsville, McAllen, or Johnstown, but high food and healthcare costs keep Campbell County at number six.

7. Poinsett County, AR

• Housing: $838
• Food: $671
• Transportation: $1,441
• Healthcare: $1,241
• Other necessities: $508
• Childcare: $658
• Utilities: $504
• Taxes: $719
• Monthly total: $6,579

Located near Memphis, Poinsett County, AR has the most affordable "other necessities" average in the nation. This means clothes, household supplies, school supplies, etc., tend to be more affordable here than anywhere else. Housing costs are also well below average, but high healthcare and transportation costs prevent Poinsett County from ranking any lower.

8. Dallas County, MO

• Housing: $821
• Food: $741
• Transportation: $1,537
• Healthcare: $1,239
• Other necessities: $526
• Childcare: $381
• Utilities: $679
• Taxes: $672
• Monthly total: $6,596

Dallas County, MO ties with neighboring Polk County, MO for the lowest rent prices nationwide for a two adult, one child household. And child care costs don't get much lower either, making this central Missouri county a particularly affordable area for growing families. On the downside, transportation costs are higher here than in most areas of the U.S. 

9. Chester County, SC

• Housing: $937
• Food: $680
• Transportation: $1,466
• Healthcare: $1,171
• Other necessities: $544
• Childcare: $632
• Utilities: $501
• Taxes: $670
• Monthly total: $6,602

Located east of Greensville, Chester County, SC has similar housing, food, and child care costs as Brownsville and McAllen, TX. Despite having lower utilities, Greensville gets pushed down the list due to higher healthcare costs, transportation costs, and taxes. 

10.   Morgan County, TN

• Housing: $887
• Food: $779
• Transportation: $1,530
• Healthcare: $1,203
• Other necessities: $560
• Childcare: $546
• Utilities: $550
• Taxes: $574
• Monthly total: $6,630

Morgan County, TN is one of those rare places where the average two adult, one child family pays less than $900 in rent. Child care, utilities, and taxes are also relatively affordable, but higher transportation costs help push it to number 10 on our list. 

• It costs more than $10,000 per month for the average two parent, one child household to live in Vermont, Hawaii, Connecticut, or California. It costs less than $7,000 in North Dakota and Arkansas.
• The average two parent, one child household spends more than $2,000 on housing in just three states: Hawaii, California, and New Hampshire.
• Monthly transportation costs are about the same throughout the US, but they're highest in Nebraska (avg. $1,583) and lowest in New Mexico (avg. $1,389).
• Although it appears in the top 10 list of states with the highest cost of living, New Hampshire boasts the lowest average monthly healthcare cost in the US ($937 for a two parent, one child household).
• Hawaii and Alaska are the only states where the average monthly food bill tops $1,000 for a two parent, one child household.

There's a lot to consider when choosing a place to move, such as job opportunities, a quality school system, proximity to family, a friendly, welcoming community, and ... you guessed it, cost of living. So while this data may get you thinking about where to move, there's still a lot more research ahead of you. 

Our guides can help you continue narrowing down the list:

• The Sunniest Cities and States in America
• Best Places to Start an LGBTQ+ Family
• Where to Move in the U.S. to Save the Most Money

Ready to pack up and move to a place with a lower cost of living? Let us help you make it an affordable move. 

We collected housing, food, transportation, healthcare, other necessities, and taxes from the Economic Policy Institute by metro area. In total, we evaluated 674 metro areas.

To get the prices closer to current day pricing we applied a 3% increase to all values as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics increase in cost of living from September 2024 to September 2025.

For Utilities, we use our own Utilities 101 data by state and applied to the metro areas. Ranking is then applied from least expensive to most expensive area by family size and for all family sizes and areas.

1. The Wage Crisis of 2025: 73% of Workers Struggle Beyond Basic Living, Resume Now (2025)
2. Cost of Living Data, Economic Policy Institute Family Budget Calculator
3. Consumer Price Index, Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025)
4. Utility Bills 101, Move.org (2025)