14 Best Cities in the US Where Families Can Live for Less than $6,000 a Month

According to the most recent Consumer Expenditure Survey from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average household earns $84,352 a year and spends $70,258 a year. Data from the BLS survey said American households are spending roughly $5,111 to $5,854 in average monthly expenses, including housing and transportation. 

What about families who earn $6,000 a month? Where can they comfortably live, work and manage expenses? To find the best cities for renting families to live for under $6,000 per month, GOBankingRates used data from ApartmentList, the Economic Policy Institute’s Family Budget Calculator and Sperling’s Best. Collectively, this data allowed us to find the average 2-bedroom rent in 2022, determine the cost of children within select metro areas and find cities with an overall cost of living index below 90.

From least to most average monthly expenditures, this is the ranking of the 14 qualifying cities.

• Monthly expenditures: $5,928.18
• Monthly child care costs: $496
• 2022 two-bedroom rent: $944.57
• Livability: 81
• Annual cost of living: $53,851.25
• Monthly cost of living: $4,487.60

• Monthly expenditures: $5,925.21
• Monthly child care costs: $549
• 2022 two-bedroom rent: $1,031.71
• Livability: 78
• Annual cost of living: $52,133.90
• Monthly cost of living: $4,344.49

• Monthly expenditures: $5,899.98
• Monthly child care costs: $789
• 2022 two-bedroom rent: $960.71
• Livability: 75
• Annual cost of living: $49,803.21
• Monthly cost of living: $4,150.27

• Monthly expenditures: $5,891.36
• Monthly child care costs: $573
• 2022 two-bedroom rent: $1,045.43
• Livability: 73
• Annual cost of living: $51,275.22
• Monthly cost of living: $4,272.94

• Monthly expenditures: $5,845.67
• Monthly child care costs: $558
• 2022 two-bedroom rent: $994.29
• Livability: 72
• Annual cost of living: $51,520.56
• Monthly cost of living: $4,293.38

• Monthly expenditures: $5,795.71
• Monthly child care costs: $584
• 2022 two-bedroom rent: $1,041
• Livability: 78
• Annual cost of living: $50,048.54
• Monthly cost of living: $4,170.71

• Monthly expenditures: $5,614.39
• Monthly child care costs: $573
• 2022 two-bedroom rent: $957.57
• Livability: 68
• Annual cost of living: $49,005.87
• Monthly cost of living: $4,083.82

• Monthly expenditures: $5,597.88
• Monthly child care costs: $566
• 2022 two-bedroom rent: $937.83
• Livability: 73
• Annual cost of living: $49,128.53
• Monthly cost of living: $4,094.04

• Monthly expenditures: $5,563.82
• Monthly child care costs: $579
• 2022 two-bedroom rent: $993
• Livability: 75
• Annual cost of living: $47,901.85
• Monthly cost of living: $3,991.82

• Monthly expenditures: $5,536.98
• Monthly child care costs: $550
• 2022 two-bedroom rent: $974.71
• Livability: 67
• Annual cost of living: $48,147.19
• Monthly cost of living: $4,012.27

• Monthly expenditures: $5,527.19
• Monthly child care costs: $646
• 2022 two-bedroom rent: $971.14
• Livability: 66
• Annual cost of living: $46,920.51
• Monthly cost of living: $3,910.04

• Monthly expenditures: $5,443.55
• Monthly child care costs: $502
• 2022 two-bedroom rent: $1,067.29
• Livability: 69
• Annual cost of living: $46,491.17
• Monthly cost of living: $3,874.26

• Monthly expenditures: $5,374.58
• Monthly child care costs: $484
• 2022 two-bedroom rent: $929.43
• Livability: 65
• Annual cost of living: $47,533.85
• Monthly cost of living: $3,961.15

• Monthly expenditures: $5,308.80
• Monthly child care costs: $499
• 2022 two-bedroom rent: $1,022.43
• Livability: 65
• Annual cost of living: $45,448.49
• Monthly cost of living: $3,787.37