Looking for a city that’s affordable and its got some zip? You’re not alone. But most “cheap cities” lists leave out a critical detail: lifestyle. Sure, low rent matters, but not if you’re stuck in a cultural desert with nothing to do.
This list is different. These 10 cities are still affordable in 2025, but they also bring something extra: creative scenes, entrepreneurial support, walkable neighborhoods, and real momentum.
We’ve combined updated cost-of-living data with local lifestyle indicators and used tools and the scoring system from LookyLOO to help you explore each one further. You’ll find links to Movebook (our save-and-plan tool), real-time rent data, and neighborhood guides where available.
1. Tucson, Arizona
- Median rent (1BR): $1,050
- Vibe: Laid-back desert creative energy. Seriously, Tucson is not like the rest of Arizona.
- Why it works: Affordable rents, Southwest art culture, and a walkable, reborn downtown. Tucson’s a favorite for artists, educators, and off-grid thinkers. The city offers diversity and depth without Phoenix prices.
- Our favorite thing: The annual Tucson Festival of Books pulls in millions of book lovers from all over the world that come to hear from beloved authors and share their love of books. For novices to Tucson the festival is shockingly cool.
- Use it: Sign up or Save Tucson to your Movebook
- Go Deep: LookyLOO Review of Living in Tucson, Arizona!
2. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Median rent (1BR): $1,100
- Vibe: Blue-collar cool meets riverfront renaissance
- Why it works: You get lake views, independent breweries, a rising tech scene, and monthly rent under $1,200. From Bay View to the Third Ward, creatives and entrepreneurs are building something exciting.
- Our favorite thing: MKE River Round Up- Rent a kayak at Boone and Crockett and follow a live band on a pontoon boat up and down the Milwaukee river. On Wednesdays during the summer. It's casual and a blast.
- Use it: Sign up or Save Milwaukee to your Movebook
- Go Deep: LookyLOO Review of Living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
3. Richmond, Virginia
- Median rent (1BR): $1,250
- Vibe: Historic grit with indie rebellion
- Why it works: One of the East Coast’s most underrated creative hubs. From murals and makerspaces to music and activism, Richmond feels like a mini Portland — without the sticker shock.
- Our favorite thing: The Richmond Folk Festival - is one of Virginia's largest events, drawing visitors from all over the country to downtown Richmond's historic riverfront. The Festival is a FREE three-day event that has folk music from styles all over the world + dance lessons + workshops and storytelling.
- Use it: Sign up or Save Richmond to your Movebook
- Go Deep: LookyLOO Review of Living in Richmond, Virginia
4. Greenville, South Carolina
- Median rent (1BR): $1,100
- Vibe: Small city, big culture
- Why it works: Walkable downtown, green spaces, and a startup energy anchored by Clemson grads and new arrivals from the Northeast. Local food, outdoor access, and high livability scores.
- Our favorite thing: Alchemy Comedy Theater - Greenville’s best combination of weekly improv, stand up, and sketch comedy shows. You can take improv lessons and they host four major events each year, including "SCI-FI Summer" a comedy revue dedicated to science fiction saga.
- Use it: Sign up or Save Greenville to your Movebook
- Go Deep: LookyLOO Review of Living in Greenville, South Carolina
5. Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Median rent (1BR): $980
- Vibe: High desert DIY
- Why it works: You’ll find room to breathe — and room to create. Albuquerque offers massive affordability, cultural diversity, and outdoor access. It’s also quietly becoming a favorite for remote workers priced out of Colorado.
- Our favorite thing: Balloon Fiesta - Painted Skies, Endless Wonder. The mission statement of the Fiesta is: conduct the world’s premier ballooning event, while promoting the sport of ballooning, the City of Albuquerque, and the State of New Mexico nationally and internationally. It's a very cool and very big deal.
- Use it: Sign up or Save Albuqueque to your Movebook
- Go Deep: LookyLOO Review of Living in Albuquerque, New Mexico
6. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Median rent (1BR): $1,200
- Vibe: Post-industrial reinvented with amazing universities to add spice to the energy of the city.
- Why it works: Tech jobs, art collectives, riverside trails, and rent still under control. Pittsburgh’s transformation continues, and it’s especially appealing to engineers, designers, and medical professionals.
- Our favorite thing: Duquesne Incline - The Incline is a 19th century cable car that climbs Mount Washington for some of the best views in the city. We love it not just because it's cool but more because it serves to educate newcomers to how shockingly beautiful the hills, rivers, neighborhoods and architecture of Pittsburgh is. Seriously, it's the most surprising city in the entire U.S. of A.
- Use it: Sign up and Save Pittsburgh to your Movebook
- Go Deep: LookyLOO Review of Living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
7. Des Moines, Iowa
- Median rent (1BR): $950
- Vibe: Friendly, focused, and forward-thinking
- Why it works: Rising tech and startup culture, public art and food scenes, plus livability that punches above its weight. Quietly one of the best-managed cities in the Midwest.
- Our favorite thing: Lauridsen Skatepark - This was a tough call given the amazing Iowa State Fair held every year, but we picked Lauridsen since it is the largest open skatepark in the country. Instead of being on the outskirts of the city, it's right smack dab in the center. This makes it a blast for skateboarders and for locals who enjoy watching the riding and the vibes. Who knew that Des Moines was this cool?
- Use it: Add Des Moines to your shortlist
- Go Deep: LookyLOO Review of Living in Des Moines, Iowa
8. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Median rent (1BR): $1,050
- Vibe: Outdoor-creative, real culture, with Appalachian roots
- Why it works: Affordable housing, creative economy, mountain access, and the energy of a university town. Knoxville is gaining attention as an Asheville alternative that still feels like a hidden gem.
- Our favorite thing: Rossini Festival is an incredible International Street Festival on four outdoor stages, showcasing opera, classical, jazz, gospel, ballet, modern dance and amazing local food vendors and artisans. Who knew that Knoxville is a hotbed for opera, due to the excellent Knoxville Opera, and this upscale art form, presented in "street festival" venues, brings this and other high arts to the entire city and region.
- Use it: Sign up and Save Knoxville to your Movebook
- Go Deep: LookyLOO Review of Living in Knoxville, Tennessee
9. Kansas City, Missouri
- Median rent (1BR): $1,100
- Vibe: Midwestern momentum
- Why it works: Tech investment, public transit improvements, killer BBQ, and surprisingly beautiful housing stock. Remote workers are flocking to KC for its fiber internet and real urban core.
- Our favorite thing: SubTropolis is the "World's Largest Underground Business Complex," a 55,000,000-square-foot city underneath Missouri. SubTropolis stores everything from a USPS collection of millions of postal stamps and the original Gone With The Wind film reels, to manmade habitats used by Earth Works to show how science works to students. It's difficult to describe unless you visit. So visit!!!
- Use it: Sign up and Save Kansas City to your Movebook
- Go Deep: LookyLOO Review of Living in Kansas City, Missouri
10. Reno, Nevada
- Median rent (1BR): $1,300
- Vibe: Wild West meets startup grit
- Why it works: With no state income tax and proximity to Lake Tahoe, Reno is a favorite for Bay Area escapees and outdoor lovers. Costs are creeping up, but for now, it’s still more affordable than other mountain metros.
- Our favorite thing: Burning Man - Each year, tens of thousands of people gather in the Black Rock Desert, outside Reno, to create Black Rock City, a temporary and flourishing cityscape dedicated to community, art, self-reliance, self-expression and self-discovery. Burning Man is a practice in community – where “Burners” create art, exchange ideas, practice inclusiveness and participate in the longtime tradition of the burning of the Man, a symbol whose meaning is as varied as the attendees themselves. There is nothing else like it on this entire planet.
- Use it: Sign up and Save Reno to your Movebook
- Go Deep: LookyLOO Review of Living in Reno, Nevada
Use This List to Build Your Budget and Explore Smarter
Every city on this list is in the LookyLOO ecosystem. That means you can:
- Save them to a Movebook as well as save neighborhoods, schools, listings, cost calculations, everything in a move process.
- Compare real cost-of-living beyond just rent
- Explore local vibes and neighborhoods with local reviews
- Track quotes and notes as you research
Start your free Movebook now and find a place that fits your budget and your life.