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Jordan Pandy, Alcynna Lloyd, and Haley Tenore
- Even as inflation cools, it's still incredibly expensive to live in the US.
- The Council for Community and Economic Research calculated the cost of living in over 300 US cities.
- Here are the 17 cheapest cities, where essentials like housing, groceries, and gas are cheaper.
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Inflation may be cooling off, but it's still incredibly expensive to live in the US. Even the cost of partaking in everyday activities, like grabbing coffee or shopping for clothes, remains high.
One solution? Move. People looking for a more affordable life often migrate to smaller states like Oklahoma and Tennessee. Expensive states like California, meanwhile, are continuing to lose residents to less pricey spots in Florida and Texas.
Living in a larger city in a smaller state — particularly in the South or Midwest, where the cost of living tends to be more reasonable — may give you the best of both worlds.
Each quarter, the Council for Community and Economic Research, a nonprofit focused on regional economic development, compares the cost of living in more than 300 American cities and metropolitan areas to calculate which are the most and least affordable. Its Cost of Living Index looks at the average price of different necessities, including rent, home prices, groceries, gas, medical appointments, entertainment, and more.
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Take the cost of a beer and a burger: That'll be easier on your wallet in some cities in Illinois and Georgia.
Read on for the 17 cheapest cities to live in the US, listed in order from most to least expensive.
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17. Morristown, Tennessee
Rent: $985
Home price: $321,725
Total energy costs: $188.71
A trip to the doctor: $132.50
A dozen eggs: $2.88
A gallon of milk: $4.48
A hamburger: $5.10
A beer: $9.95
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16. Monroe, Louisiana
Rent: $883
Home price: $382,863
Total energy costs: $114.10
A trip to the doctor: $140.50
A dozen eggs: $2.92
A gallon of milk: $4.49
A hamburger: $4.19
A beer: $9.73
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15. Joplin, Missouri
Rent: $875
Home price: $319,480
Total energy costs: $239.90
A trip to the doctor: $129
A dozen eggs: $2.90
A gallon of milk: $4.48
A hamburger: $6.92
A beer: $9.27
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14. Waterloo-Cedar Falls, Iowa
Rent: $878
Home price: $446,778
Total energy costs: $129.31
A trip to the doctor: $143.50
A dozen eggs: $3.34
A gallon of milk: $4.77
A hamburger: $3.79
A beer: $9.57
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13. Jonesboro, Arkansas
Rent: $845
Home price: $312,024
Total energy costs: $148.93
A trip to the doctor: $93.33
A dozen eggs: $3.12
A gallon of milk: $4.49
A hamburger: $5.32
A beer: $9.85
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12. Richmond, Indiana
Rent: $815
Home price: $325,000
Total energy costs: $188.18
A trip to the doctor: $97.50
A dozen eggs: $3.29
A gallon of milk: $4.63
A hamburger: $4.89
A beer: $10.14
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11. Charleston, West Virginia
Rent: $985
Home price: $263,333
Total energy costs: $189.84
A trip to the doctor: $160
A dozen eggs: $4.23
A gallon of milk: $4.83
A hamburger: $4.79
A beer: $9.91
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10. Tupelo, Mississippi
Rent: $808
Home price: $375,967
Total energy costs: $148.61
A trip to the doctor: $76
A dozen eggs: $3.14
A gallon of milk: $4.52
A hamburger: $5.00
A beer: $8.94
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9. Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, Arkansas
Rent: $1,045
Home price: $439,667
Total energy costs:$165.42
A trip to the doctor: $136
A dozen eggs: $3.74
A gallon of milk: $4.65
A hamburger: $6.39
A beer: $10.08
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8. Ashland, Ohio
Rent: $785
Home price: $374,100
Total energy costs: $171.65
A trip to the doctor: $145
A dozen eggs: $2.90
A gallon of milk: $4.48
A hamburger: $5.19
A beer: $10.22
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7. Florence-Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Rent: $753
Home price: $359, 500
Total energy costs: $182
A trip to the doctor: $93
A dozen eggs: $2.90
A gallon of milk: $4.50
A hamburger: $5.19
A beer: $10.01
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6. Anniston-Oxford, Alabama
Rent: $909
Home price: $279,900
Total energy costs: $225.32
A trip to the doctor: $105
A dozen eggs: $2.92
A gallon of milk: $4.61
A hamburger: $4.89
A beer: $9.91
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5. Augusta-Richmond County, Georgia
Rent: $1,211
Home price: $297,167
Total energy costs: $145.02
A trip to the doctor: $91
A dozen eggs: $3.25
A gallon of milk: $4.59
A hamburger: $5.39
A beer: $10.23
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4. Ponca City, Oklahoma
Rent: $609
Home price: $330,000
Total energy costs: $180.74
A trip to the doctor: $72.50
A dozen eggs: $2.96
A gallon of milk: $4.48
A hamburger: $4.99
A beer: $9.76
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3. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas
Rent: $891
Home price: $265, 667
Total energy costs: $208.01
A trip to the doctor: $82.67
A dozen eggs: $2.91
A gallon of milk: $4.58
A hamburger: $5.20
A beer: $10.14
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2. Brownsville-Harlingen, Texas
Rent: $874
Home price: $356,350
Total energy costs: $196.41
A trip to the doctor: $100.67
A dozen eggs: $2.93
A gallon of milk: $4.54
A hamburger: $5.79
A beer: $10.20
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1. Decatur, Illinois
Rent: $750
Home price: $265,375
Total energy costs: $156.09
A trip to the doctor: $110
A dozen eggs: $3.32
A gallon of milk: $4.57
A hamburger: $4.29
A beer: $9.73
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