2. St. Louis
Seems like the classic Judy Garland film, Meet Me in St. Louis, was onto something. This port city on the border of Missouri and Illinois sports a cost of living that’s a full ten percentage points below the national average. Rent is the main steal here--the cost of housing is 22 percent below the nation’s average (that means you can look out for a median rent of just $535 a month, according to Rent.com). The best part? This manufacturing hub brings the city high wages, with the average full-time worker earning $22.63/hour, and those in manufacturing and construction faring even better—earning an average of $24.23/hour.
