Cost of Living

Rent Prices by City

Average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment. Compare costs across 301 US cities.

National Average
$1,000 – $3,000
$/mo
Cities
301
Cheapest
San Juan
Most Expensive
Telluride
Spread
$612 – $3K
RankingsPopular CitiesAll CitiesFAQRelated Topics

Rent Prices vary dramatically across the United States — and location is the single biggest factor most people overlook. The gap between the cheapest and most expensive cities can exceed 100%, meaning the same service that costs $1,000 in one market might run over $3,000 in another. Our data covers pricing from 301 cities, updated with the latest federal data. San Juan leads as the most affordable market, while Telluride tops the list for highest costs.

Direct Answer

Rent Prices average $2,000 nationally. In this city dataset, San Juan, PR is the cheapest at $612, while Telluride, CO is the most expensive at $3,056.

This hub is designed to route readers from the national answer into city-specific pages, where local rent, wages, insurance, taxes, and market conditions explain the real decision difference.

National average
$2,000

Reported as $/mo.

Cheapest city
San Juan

$612 modeled cost.

Most expensive
Telluride

$3,056 modeled cost.

City spread
$2,444

399% gap between the highest and lowest city values in this topic set.

Why Rent Prices Vary by City

1

State tax policies — no income tax states vs. high-tax states

2

Housing supply constraints in high-demand coastal cities

3

Urban density and transportation infrastructure availability

4

Housing market dynamics, the largest component of most budgets

5

Climate impact on utility costs — heating-dominant vs. cooling-dominant markets

How to Use This Guide

  1. Start with the national average, then check the city page because rent prices can move sharply by local market.
  2. Compare the lowest-cost cities against salary and housing before treating one city as the best option.
  3. Use the related city links and comparison pages to connect this topic to full cost-of-living decisions.

Cheapest and Most Expensive Cities for Rent Prices

🟢 Most Affordable

1San Juan, PR
$612-57%
2Jefferson City, MO
$802-43%
3Erie, PA
$870-38%
4Decatur, IL
$892-37%
5St. Joseph, MO
$898-36%

🔴 Most Expensive

1Telluride, CO
$3K+116%
2Irvine, CA
$3K+112%
3Sunnyvale, CA
$3K+104%
4Cambridge, MA
$3K+94%
5San Jose, CA
$3K+89%

Compare Rent Prices Across 301 Cities

#CityStateLowAverageHighvs National
1San JuanPR$459$612$887-57%
2Jefferson CityMO$602$802$1,163-43%
3EriePA$653$870$1,262-38%
4DecaturIL$669$892$1,293-37%
5St. JosephMO$674$898$1,302-36%
6Great FallsMT$675$900$1,305-36%
7CharlestonWV$681$908$1,317-36%
8FlintMI$686$915$1,327-35%
9AugustaME$689$919$1,333-35%
10Terre HauteIN$692$922$1,337-35%
11BrownsvilleTX$692$923$1,338-35%
12LaramieWY$694$925$1,341-35%
13Green BayWI$699$932$1,351-34%
14OshkoshWI$701$935$1,356-34%
15FrankfortKY$708$944$1,369-33%
16ClevelandOH$709$945$1,370-33%
17FargoND$710$946$1,372-33%
18PocatelloID$711$948$1,375-33%
19ShreveportLA$723$964$1,398-32%
20SpringfieldMO$723$964$1,398-32%
21Cedar RapidsIA$725$967$1,402-32%
22AkronOH$726$968$1,404-31%
23SpringfieldIL$731$975$1,414-31%
24EvansvilleIN$731$975$1,414-31%
25DavenportIA$734$978$1,418-31%
26TopekaKS$734$979$1,420-31%
27PierreSD$737$983$1,425-30%
28RockfordIL$739$985$1,428-30%
29WichitaKS$742$989$1,434-30%
30LansingMI$745$993$1,440-30%
31Traverse CityMI$746$995$1,443-30%
32St. LouisMO$748$997$1,446-29%
33Bowling GreenKY$749$998$1,447-29%
34BismarckND$749$999$1,449-29%
35CincinnatiOH$751$1,001$1,451-29%
36HattiesburgMS$754$1,005$1,457-29%
37CasperWY$757$1,009$1,463-29%
38La CrosseWI$758$1,010$1,465-29%
39ConwayAR$758$1,011$1,466-28%
40LaredoTX$773$1,030$1,494-27%
41AppletonWI$773$1,030$1,494-27%
42RacineWI$775$1,033$1,498-27%
43South BendIN$775$1,033$1,498-27%
44Sioux FallsSD$776$1,035$1,501-27%
45SyracuseNY$779$1,039$1,507-26%
46DaytonOH$782$1,042$1,511-26%
47Eau ClaireWI$784$1,045$1,515-26%
48BuffaloNY$785$1,046$1,517-26%
49ScrantonPA$786$1,048$1,520-26%
50McAllenTX$787$1,049$1,521-26%
51TulsaOK$789$1,052$1,525-26%
52JanesvilleWI$791$1,054$1,528-25%
53MilwaukeeWI$794$1,059$1,536-25%
54HarrisburgPA$797$1,062$1,540-25%
55MaconGA$800$1,066$1,546-25%
56Baton RougeLA$800$1,067$1,547-24%
57ReadingPA$800$1,067$1,547-24%
58El PasoTX$805$1,073$1,556-24%
59DetroitMI$806$1,074$1,557-24%
60Idaho FallsID$806$1,075$1,559-24%
61KalamazooMI$809$1,078$1,563-24%
62SpringfieldMA$810$1,080$1,566-24%
63RochesterNY$811$1,081$1,567-23%
64BloomingtonIL$811$1,081$1,567-23%
65PuebloCO$812$1,082$1,569-23%
66Twin FallsID$812$1,082$1,569-23%
67LincolnNE$815$1,086$1,575-23%
68Winston-SalemNC$815$1,087$1,576-23%
69DuluthMN$815$1,087$1,576-23%
70MontgomeryAL$817$1,089$1,579-23%
71BiloxiMS$817$1,089$1,579-23%
72Des MoinesIA$818$1,090$1,581-23%
73AmarilloTX$819$1,092$1,583-23%
74HelenaMT$819$1,092$1,583-23%
75ColumbiaMO$823$1,097$1,591-22%
76LafayetteLA$825$1,100$1,595-22%
77JacksonMS$826$1,101$1,596-22%
78Little RockAR$830$1,106$1,604-22%
79BirminghamAL$830$1,107$1,605-22%
80Rapid CitySD$832$1,109$1,608-22%
81IndependenceMO$832$1,109$1,608-22%
82YakimaWA$838$1,117$1,620-21%
83CheyenneWY$839$1,118$1,621-21%
84FayettevilleAR$839$1,119$1,623-21%
85BeaumontTX$841$1,121$1,625-21%
86Oklahoma CityOK$848$1,130$1,639-20%
87MobileAL$852$1,136$1,647-20%
88BillingsMT$854$1,138$1,650-19%
89AlbuquerqueNM$859$1,145$1,660-19%
90TucsonAZ$859$1,145$1,660-19%
91SchenectadyNY$859$1,145$1,660-19%
92LouisvilleKY$862$1,149$1,666-19%
93IndianapolisIN$866$1,154$1,673-18%
94AbileneTX$868$1,157$1,678-18%
95LexingtonKY$873$1,164$1,688-18%
96WacoTX$874$1,165$1,689-18%
97HuntsvilleAL$878$1,171$1,698-17%
98GreensboroNC$879$1,172$1,699-17%
99MemphisTN$886$1,181$1,712-16%
100LubbockTX$887$1,182$1,714-16%
101KenoshaWI$890$1,186$1,720-16%
102OmahaNE$890$1,187$1,721-16%
103MissoulaMT$892$1,189$1,724-16%
104ChampaignIL$893$1,190$1,726-16%
105KnoxvilleTN$893$1,191$1,727-16%
106ProvoUT$895$1,193$1,730-16%
107College StationTX$896$1,194$1,731-15%
108BloomingtonIN$900$1,200$1,740-15%
109SpokaneWA$911$1,215$1,762-14%
110AlbanyNY$912$1,216$1,763-14%
111WilmingtonDE$918$1,224$1,775-13%
112New BedfordMA$919$1,225$1,776-13%
113Kansas CityMO$929$1,238$1,795-12%
114KennewickWA$930$1,240$1,798-12%
115Carson CityNV$936$1,248$1,810-12%
116ColumbiaSC$937$1,249$1,811-12%
117New OrleansLA$938$1,251$1,814-11%
118TylerTX$939$1,252$1,815-11%
119ChattanoogaTN$942$1,256$1,821-11%
120PittsburghPA$946$1,261$1,828-11%
121Grand RapidsMI$950$1,266$1,836-10%
122RogersAR$953$1,270$1,842-10%
123JolietIL$957$1,276$1,850-10%
124Martha's VineyardMA$958$1,277$1,852-10%
125St. PaulMN$961$1,281$1,857-9%
126HartfordCT$962$1,283$1,860-9%
127Corpus ChristiTX$969$1,292$1,873-9%
128TallahasseeFL$970$1,293$1,875-8%
129TrentonNJ$971$1,294$1,876-8%
130ColumbusOH$971$1,295$1,878-8%
131GainesvilleFL$972$1,296$1,879-8%
132MontpelierVT$977$1,302$1,888-8%
133Warner RobinsGA$980$1,306$1,894-8%
134ClarksvilleTN$980$1,307$1,895-8%
135AllentownPA$988$1,317$1,910-7%
136NorfolkVA$991$1,321$1,915-7%
137PensacolaFL$992$1,322$1,917-6%
138San AntonioTX$993$1,324$1,920-6%
139Daytona BeachFL$996$1,328$1,926-6%
140BaltimoreMD$998$1,331$1,930-6%
141Newport NewsVA$1,004$1,339$1,942-5%
142DoverDE$1,008$1,344$1,949-5%
143HoustonTX$1,021$1,361$1,973-4%
144WarwickRI$1,022$1,363$1,976-4%
145MinneapolisMN$1,028$1,371$1,988-3%
146RichmondVA$1,029$1,372$1,989-3%
147CranstonRI$1,031$1,375$1,994-3%
148MedfordOR$1,032$1,376$1,995-3%
149ReddingCA$1,034$1,379$2,000-2%
150BethlehemPA$1,037$1,382$2,004-2%
151OdessaTX$1,038$1,384$2,007-2%
152GreeleyCO$1,041$1,388$2,013-2%
153CorvallisOR$1,043$1,391$2,017-2%
154NewarkNJ$1,044$1,392$2,018-1%
155LakelandFL$1,046$1,395$2,023-1%
156PhiladelphiaPA$1,048$1,397$2,026-1%
157EugeneOR$1,052$1,402$2,033-1%
158AshevilleNC$1,052$1,402$2,033-1%
159ProvidenceRI$1,056$1,408$2,0420%
160MadisonWI$1,060$1,413$2,0490%
161Salt Lake CityUT$1,061$1,414$2,0500%
162NampaID$1,065$1,420$2,0590%
163FresnoCA$1,066$1,421$2,060+1%
164North CharlestonSC$1,073$1,430$2,074+1%
165ChicagoIL$1,080$1,440$2,088+2%
166ConcordNH$1,081$1,441$2,089+2%
167JuneauAK$1,083$1,444$2,094+2%
168BoiseID$1,085$1,446$2,097+2%
169IthacaNY$1,085$1,447$2,098+2%
170SedonaAZ$1,086$1,448$2,100+2%
171Santa FeNM$1,097$1,463$2,121+4%
172JacksonvilleFL$1,099$1,465$2,124+4%
173Coeur d'AleneID$1,101$1,468$2,129+4%
174ArlingtonTX$1,103$1,470$2,132+4%
175Saratoga SpringsNY$1,103$1,470$2,132+4%
176DallasTX$1,104$1,472$2,134+4%
177BakersfieldCA$1,104$1,472$2,134+4%
178MurfreesboroTN$1,111$1,481$2,147+5%
179WorcesterMA$1,115$1,487$2,156+5%
180ChicoCA$1,116$1,488$2,158+5%
181AnchorageAK$1,117$1,489$2,159+5%
182VisaliaCA$1,118$1,490$2,161+5%
183DurhamNC$1,131$1,508$2,187+7%
184Fort WorthTX$1,132$1,509$2,188+7%
185SavannahGA$1,139$1,519$2,203+8%
186GlendaleAZ$1,146$1,528$2,216+8%
187RenoNV$1,167$1,556$2,256+10%
188Palm SpringsCA$1,172$1,562$2,265+11%
189Las VegasNV$1,172$1,563$2,266+11%
190BridgeportCT$1,172$1,563$2,266+11%
191ManchesterNH$1,173$1,564$2,268+11%
192DentonTX$1,176$1,568$2,274+11%
193RaleighNC$1,179$1,572$2,279+11%
194New HavenCT$1,181$1,574$2,282+11%
195StocktonCA$1,183$1,577$2,287+12%
196PortlandME$1,183$1,577$2,287+12%
197BellinghamWA$1,183$1,577$2,287+12%
198PhoenixAZ$1,187$1,582$2,294+12%
199NashvilleTN$1,187$1,582$2,294+12%
200ChesapeakeVA$1,190$1,586$2,300+12%
201OlympiaWA$1,199$1,599$2,319+13%
202Palm BayFL$1,201$1,601$2,321+13%
203VailCO$1,205$1,606$2,329+14%
204CharlotteNC$1,209$1,612$2,337+14%
205LowellMA$1,211$1,614$2,340+14%
206MesaAZ$1,215$1,620$2,349+15%
207MidlandTX$1,224$1,632$2,366+15%
208ElizabethNJ$1,224$1,632$2,366+15%
209DurangoCO$1,227$1,636$2,372+16%
210FlagstaffAZ$1,234$1,645$2,385+16%
211Colorado SpringsCO$1,236$1,648$2,390+17%
212BurlingtonVT$1,237$1,649$2,391+17%
213Ann ArborMI$1,237$1,649$2,391+17%
214PatersonNJ$1,238$1,650$2,393+17%
215PortlandOR$1,241$1,655$2,400+17%
216ClearwaterFL$1,244$1,658$2,404+17%
217TacomaWA$1,257$1,676$2,430+19%
218SarasotaFL$1,263$1,684$2,442+19%
219ModestoCA$1,268$1,690$2,451+20%
220Fort CollinsCO$1,268$1,690$2,451+20%
221TampaFL$1,276$1,701$2,466+20%
222North Las VegasNV$1,279$1,705$2,472+21%
223AtlantaGA$1,283$1,711$2,481+21%
224Virginia BeachVA$1,286$1,714$2,485+21%
225Pompano BeachFL$1,293$1,724$2,500+22%
226AustinTX$1,297$1,729$2,507+22%
227CaryNC$1,304$1,738$2,520+23%
228TempeAZ$1,307$1,743$2,527+23%
229OrlandoFL$1,310$1,747$2,533+24%
230MiamiFL$1,319$1,758$2,549+24%
231LakewoodNJ$1,322$1,763$2,556+25%
232SacramentoCA$1,334$1,779$2,580+26%
233YonkersNY$1,338$1,784$2,587+26%
234VictorvilleCA$1,349$1,798$2,607+27%
235New YorkNY$1,366$1,821$2,640+29%
236HonoluluHI$1,367$1,823$2,643+29%
237HendersonNV$1,368$1,824$2,645+29%
238Round RockTX$1,370$1,826$2,648+29%
239DenverCO$1,373$1,831$2,655+30%
240AuroraCO$1,376$1,835$2,661+30%
241FontanaCA$1,379$1,839$2,667+30%
242PlanoTX$1,381$1,841$2,669+30%
243RoswellGA$1,390$1,853$2,687+31%
244Fort LauderdaleFL$1,391$1,854$2,688+31%
245Cape CoralFL$1,394$1,858$2,694+31%
246PortsmouthNH$1,402$1,869$2,710+32%
247Long BeachCA$1,403$1,871$2,713+32%
248MeridianID$1,405$1,873$2,716+33%
249BendOR$1,412$1,883$2,730+33%
250NapervilleIL$1,414$1,885$2,733+33%
251CharlestonSC$1,415$1,887$2,736+34%
252McKinneyTX$1,426$1,901$2,756+35%
253ChandlerAZ$1,427$1,902$2,758+35%
254RiversideCA$1,436$1,914$2,775+35%
255Sandy SpringsGA$1,441$1,921$2,785+36%
256Los AngelesCA$1,450$1,933$2,803+37%
257Park CityUT$1,457$1,943$2,817+38%
258WashingtonDC$1,466$1,954$2,833+38%
259San Luis ObispoCA$1,474$1,965$2,849+39%
260OaklandCA$1,484$1,979$2,870+40%
261PeoriaAZ$1,492$1,989$2,884+41%
262Jersey CityNJ$1,505$2,007$2,910+42%
263ScottsdaleAZ$1,510$2,013$2,919+42%
264FriscoTX$1,511$2,014$2,920+43%
265BoulderCO$1,514$2,018$2,926+43%
266SeattleWA$1,523$2,030$2,944+44%
267ColumbiaMD$1,532$2,042$2,961+45%
268AspenCO$1,561$2,081$3,017+47%
269Santa AnaCA$1,562$2,082$3,019+47%
270JacksonWY$1,575$2,100$3,045+49%
271VallejoCA$1,578$2,104$3,051+49%
272GilbertAZ$1,583$2,110$3,060+49%
273OxnardCA$1,583$2,111$3,061+49%
274Moreno ValleyCA$1,601$2,135$3,096+51%
275RosevilleCA$1,610$2,146$3,112+52%
276BostonMA$1,610$2,147$3,113+52%
277Santa RosaCA$1,614$2,152$3,120+52%
278AnaheimCA$1,631$2,175$3,154+54%
279Sugar LandTX$1,637$2,182$3,164+54%
280Key WestFL$1,665$2,220$3,219+57%
281OntarioCA$1,688$2,250$3,263+59%
282StamfordCT$1,707$2,276$3,300+61%
283NapaCA$1,712$2,282$3,309+62%
284ConcordCA$1,725$2,300$3,335+63%
285NaplesFL$1,729$2,305$3,342+63%
286San DiegoCA$1,735$2,313$3,354+64%
287HaywardCA$1,750$2,333$3,383+65%
288Elk GroveCA$1,764$2,352$3,410+66%
289Rancho CucamongaCA$1,778$2,370$3,437+68%
290OceansideCA$1,778$2,370$3,437+68%
291Santa BarbaraCA$1,810$2,413$3,499+71%
292Santa CruzCA$1,839$2,452$3,555+74%
293San FranciscoCA$1,857$2,476$3,590+75%
294Huntington BeachCA$1,883$2,510$3,640+78%
295BellevueWA$1,929$2,572$3,729+82%
296Simi ValleyCA$1,989$2,652$3,845+88%
297San JoseCA$2,002$2,669$3,870+89%
298CambridgeMA$2,060$2,746$3,982+94%
299SunnyvaleCA$2,167$2,889$4,189+104%
300IrvineCA$2,248$2,997$4,346+112%
301TellurideCO$2,292$3,056$4,431+116%

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does rent cost on average?

The national average for rent prices ranges from $1,000 to $3,000. However, actual costs vary significantly by city — San Juan is the most affordable at $612, while Telluride is the most expensive at $3,056. That's a spread of $2,444 between the cheapest and most expensive cities.

Where is rent prices cheapest in the US?

The top 5 most affordable cities for rent prices are: 1. San Juan, PR ($612); 2. Jefferson City, MO ($802); 3. Erie, PA ($870); 4. Decatur, IL ($892); 5. St. Joseph, MO ($898). These cities benefit from lower labor costs, less regulatory overhead, and more competitive local markets.

Why does rent cost more in some cities?

Several factors drive cost differences: local labor rates (often tied to housing costs), state and city regulations, material transportation costs, competitive density of service providers, and regional demand patterns. High cost-of-living cities like Telluride (index: 210) have higher baseline expenses that push up service costs across the board.

About This Data

Data SourcesBLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, Census Bureau ACS, HUD Fair Market Rent data, and regional industry surveys.
MethodologyNational averages adjusted by city-specific cost-of-living indices derived from BLS regional price parities.
Confidence LevelHIGH— Model-derived from national data

Limitations: These are estimated ranges based on federal datasets and cost indices, not direct local surveys. Actual costs may vary based on project scope, provider, timing, and local market conditions. Data last updated: May 2026.

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