50 Cheapest Places Where Rent Is Less Than $2,000

Even before the economic tumult of 2025, with its astronomically priced eggs and tariff-related price hikes, the 2020s in America were marked by dizzyingly high cost of living — especially with regards to rent.

Recently, GOBankingRates sought to find which cities in America have an average rental cost of less than $2,000, all as a means to find the cheapest places in the country for renters to live. Utilizing cost-of-living indexes related to groceries, healthcare, housing, utilities, transportation and more, GOBankingRates categorized and sorted the cities with average rents under $2,000 to reveal the places with the cheapest cost of living.

Looking for a far more affordable city in your state? Considering a move to a different and cheaper locale? Check out the list below to find the affordable city for you.

• Annual cost of living: $29,330
• Monthly rent: $650
• Median household income: $51,846

• Annual cost of living: $29,979
• Monthly rent: $776
• Median household income: $46,395

• Annual cost of living: $30,474
• Monthly rent: $700
• Median household income: $59,332

• Annual cost of living: $30,525
• Monthly rent: $686
• Median household income: $42,518

• Annual cost of living: $30,881
• Monthly rent: $875
• Median household income: $51,290

• Annual cost of living: $30,882
• Monthly rent: $700
• Median household income: $52,815

• Annual cost of living: $30,917
• Monthly rent: $728
• Median household income: $46,012

• Annual cost of living: $30,973
• Monthly rent: $900
• Median household income: $50,865

• Annual cost of living: $31,075
• Monthly rent: $760
• Median household income: $53,323

• Annual cost of living: $31,226
• Monthly rent: $799
• Median household income: $47,875

• Annual cost of living: $31,250
• Monthly rent: $746
• Median household income: $58,801  

• Annual cost of living: $31,305
• Monthly rent: $881
• Median household income: $66,488

• Annual cost of living: $31,366
• Monthly rent: $853
• Median household income: $40,253

• Annual cost of living: $31,467
• Monthly rent: $800
• Median household income: $35,451

• Annual cost of living: $31,556
• Monthly rent: $755
• Median household income: $39,753

• Annual cost of living: $31,617
• Monthly rent: $840
• Median household income: 48,977

• Annual cost of living: $31,808
• Monthly rent: $783
• Median household income: $47,057

• Annual cost of living: $31,850
• Monthly rent: $869
• Median household income: $42,157

• Annual cost of living: $31,851
• Monthly rent: $844
• Median household income: $56,344

• Annual cost of living: $31,925
• Monthly rent: $890
• Median household income: $54,608

• Annual cost of living: $32,136
• Monthly rent: $807
• Median household income: $44,239

• Annual cost of living: $32,349
• Monthly rent: $878
• Median household income: $40,220

• Annual cost of living: $32,393
• Monthly rent: $793
• Median household income: $67,269

• Annual cost of living: $32,415
• Monthly rent: $823
• Median household income: $43,826

• Annual cost of living: $32,427
• Monthly rent: $836
• Median household income: $22,883

• Annual cost of living: $32,492
• Monthly rent: $938
• Median household income: $57,310

• Annual cost of living: $32,555
• Monthly rent: $836
• Median household income: $61,769

• Annual cost of living: $32,581
• Monthly rent: $793
• Median household income: $48,063

• Annual cost of living: $32,626
• Monthly rent: $878
• Median household income: $54,809

• Annual cost of living: $32,633
• Monthly rent: $750
• Median household income: $38,699

• Annual cost of living: $32,741
• Monthly rent: $875
• Median household income: $61,740

• Annual cost of living: $32,749
• Monthly rent: $895
• Median household income: $49,947

• Annual cost of living: $32,764
• Monthly rent: $700
• Median household income: $29,670

• Annual cost of living: $32,769
• Monthly rent: $857
• Median household income: $52,787

• Annual cost of living: $32,777
• Monthly rent: $948
• Median household income: $53,204

• Annual cost of living: $32,778
• Monthly rent: $924
• Median household income: $39,488

• Annual cost of living: $32,884
• Monthly rent: $895
• Median household income: $66,944

• Annual cost of living: $32,889
• Monthly rent: $944
• Median household income: $36,955

• Annual cost of living: $32,898
• Monthly rent: $916
• Median household income: $59,420

• Annual cost of living: $32,909
• Monthly rent: $1,000
• Median household income: $55,292

• Annual cost of living: $32,925
• Monthly rent: $992
• Median household income: $48,708

• Annual cost of living: $32,955
• Monthly rent: $850
• Median household income: $37,398

• Annual cost of living: $32,987
• Monthly rent: $950
• Median household income: $50,668

• Annual cost of living: $33,001
• Monthly rent: $925
• Median household income: $44,242

• Annual cost of living: $33,025
• Monthly rent: $875
• Median household income: $45,986

• Annual cost of living: $33,074
• Monthly rent: $834
• Median household income: $33,784

• Annual cost of living: $33,083
• Monthly rent: $913
• Median household income: $44,878

• Annual cost of living: $33,117
• Monthly rent: $1,013
• Median household income: $49,327

• Annual cost of living: $33,123
• Monthly rent: $971
• Median household income: $34,746

• Annual cost of living: $33,164
• Monthly rent: $794
• Median household income: $57,020  

Methodology: Using Zillow Observed Rental Index, cities with an average rental cost of $2,000 or less were identified. The cost-of-living indexes were sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces and include the grocery, healthcare, housing, utilities, transportation, and miscellaneous cost-of-living indexes. Using the cost-of-living indexes and the national average expenditure costs, as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, the average expenditure cost for each location was calculated. The average rent and expenditures were used to find the total cost of living. The cities were sorted to show the cheapest cost of living first. All data was collected on and is up to date as of May 13, 2025.