The idea that you can’t live cheap in an urban area seems to be very widespread. I won’t argue that living in an urban area isn’t generally more expensive than living in the country or in the suburbs, because in my own experience, it is. But that doesn’t mean that certain things aren’t actually cheaper in the city than they are anywhere else, and that doesn’t mean that you can’t live pretty darn cheap even in urban locations popularly believed to be very expensive.

Let me point out some aspects of urban life which can actually be cheaper than rural or suburban life:

Shopping

Cities like LA, Chicago, and New York are known for high class, ultra-expensive shopping, but I assert that shopping in such cities can be very cheap. It really comes down to choices. Here in Los Angeles, for instance, we’ve got Rodeo Drive and a million other places to blow huge wads of cash, but we’ve also got flea markets, swap meets, warehouse-style grocery stores, dollar stores, Craig’s List, thrift stores, and more.

When I go shopping for groceries, I stop in at the dollar store first. Their selection is constantly changing, but they often have really good stuff. Then I make the rounds of several nearby grocery stores and take advantage of all the weekly specials that have caught my eye. I believe that being in close proximity to many different grocery stores, all with different sale items, helps keep my grocery prices down - and if I didn’t live where I live, I wouldn’t have all these options.

When I want to buy furniture, I check Craig’s List first, and failing that, I visit IKEA. Last year, when I needed a fridge, I found an area with a bunch of used appliance shops and visited every one until I was confident I’d snagged a good deal. When I needed to replace a tire, I stopped by a grungy, nasty little tire place with a big sign reading “llantas usadas.” They sold me a used tire for $30 - and mounted it for free. None of these opportunities would be available to me if I didn’t live in the city.

Transportation

In many urban areas, it’s possible to survive without a car. When you own a vehicle, recurring expenses like gas, maintenance, parking, and insurance really add up. Have you ever stopped to calculate how much you pay for these things each year? I have, and it isn’t pretty.

I could get by without a car if I wanted to, but life would be a lot less convenient. I still have a car, but I bike or use public transportation whenever I can. Most of the everyday places I like to shop and hang out are within just a few miles of me, so I find myself using my car only a few times per week. I’ve also lived in the suburbs and in the countryside, and I can testify that it is much more difficult to get by without a car in these locations.

Entertainment

Overindulging in urban nightlife can definitely sap your wallet, but again, keeping yourself entertained in an urban area can be very cheap. If you live in the city, have you ever taken a look at all the amazing free entertainment options that are available? I’m talking about free museum days, free street fairs, free concerts, free theater tickets; I’m talking about free public beaches, city parks, nature reserves. There are inarguably more free entertainment options in the city than in the country or in the suburbs, and availing yourself of these options can make it pretty darn cheap to stay entertained.

What’s Not Cheaper

The biggie: housing. Housing in a very large city is never going to be as cheap as that in a small town. It can be awfully, awfully hard to find housing that won’t break the bank if you’re determined to live in the heart of a metropolis.

However, housing in a mid-sized city can actually be cheaper than housing in the country or in the suburbs, with the reason again being options. How many one-bedroom apartments are available in the heart of farm country? Not many. The availability of such options could make city housing cheaper, though it all depends on the location.

Once again, I’m not going to claim that it’s cheaper to live in the city. In most cases, it probably isn’t. But I do want to dispel the notion that life in the city cannot be fairly cheap. It can be! It’s definitely possible to live the cheap life wherever you want to live it. I hope this notion is encouraging to anyone in an urban area and who thinks that saving money there is impossible. I also hope this is enlightening to anyone who thinks pursuing a life goal that involves moving to a city also involves an enormous, uncontrollable increase in cost of living. Regardless of whether you’re in the country or the suburbs or the city, if you’re happy and you’re living cheap - I salute you!

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