# Walkable, cheap rent, fun life... where? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 17, 2015, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walkable-cheap-rent-fun-life-where/720270 "2015-05-17T22:46:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walkable-cheap-rent-fun-life-where/720270/41 "2015-05-22T17:42:13Z")
> [@boffking](#): > > About a half hour south of Gardiner is another town that may fit the OP’s criteria. Brunswick, Maine has a lot of parks, it’s near the ocean, and two large rivers, fairly cheap rent, and has the large (for Maine) cities of Portland, Lewiston/Auburn, and Augusta all fairly close. I think a 1bed downtown is about $600/month, and there are a few gaming stores nearby. It is also a college town, home to Bowdoin College. [Apartments.com](http://Apartments.com) has 0 rentals available in Brunswick. Trulia has one rental, a 3br house in the suburbs for $1450. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > The OP said that he/she is currently living in Silicon Valley. So would you be happy moving to a place in the snowbelt, like Maine, Vermont or Utah? Cost of living aside, there’s going to be a big change in climate. Eh, I guess. Never have lived in the cold before, so there’s really only one way to find out if I mind… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2015, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walkable-cheap-rent-fun-life-where/720270/42 "2015-05-22T17:46:36Z")
In the Silicon Valley, you might have minimal expenses for heating and cooling your apartment, but it will almost certainly cost much more in the northeast, where the summers can be hot and humid (so that you may need air conditioning or at least fans) and the winters are cold (so that heating will be necessary). ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2015, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walkable-cheap-rent-fun-life-where/720270/43 "2015-05-22T17:59:58Z")
Have you looked at cities in the interior of California? You might find a lower cost of living and a climate similar to what you’re used to. ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2015, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walkable-cheap-rent-fun-life-where/720270/44 "2015-05-22T18:49:53Z")
> [@araminty](#): > > [Apartments.com](http://Apartments.com) has 0 rentals available in Brunswick. Trulia has one rental, a 3br house in the suburbs for $1450. > > Eh, I guess. Never have lived in the cold before, so there’s really only one way to find out if I mind… 🙂 Craigslist is the way to go for apartments anywhere in Maine. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walkable-cheap-rent-fun-life-where/720270/45 "2015-05-27T05:37:55Z")
The shortlist so far: Boise, Idaho (41.0% lower COL) Louisville, Kentucky (46.0% lower COL) Memphis, Tennessee (50.3% lower COL) St Louis, Missouri (44.8% lower COL) Kansas City, Missouri/Kansas (42.7% lower COL) Wichita, Kansas (47.8% lower COL) Little Rock, Arkansas (42.6% lower COL) Tucson, Arizona (41% lower COL) One other factor will be health insurance premiums. I suppose with the ACA I can now expect fairly similar costs, but I can’t work out how to determine this, apart from using the [healthcare.gov](http://healthcare.gov) calculator with a zipcode from each of the above possibilities… ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walkable-cheap-rent-fun-life-where/720270/46 "2015-05-27T16:37:22Z")
Brunswick, Maine, does have a lot going for it. And yes, Craigslist is where to find the open apts. HOWEVER, do not underestimate the effect of Maine weather on quality of life. I’ve never adjusted to it (after San Diego, so yeah, what was I thinking?) and it keeps me from enjoying much of the outdoor life from late Oct through mid-May. If you want to be near a (smallish, but biggest here) city, try the smaller towns outside Portland. Rent in town here is pretty high for the area (say, 1500 for a nice 2-bd), but Westbrook, Gorham, South Portland are cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![birchtree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@birchtree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/birchtree)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walkable-cheap-rent-fun-life-where/720270/47 "2015-05-27T18:52:33Z")
Have you checked Springfield Oregon? I’m looking at it myself–seems to offer alot– ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walkable-cheap-rent-fun-life-where/720270/48 "2015-05-27T19:10:54Z")
Let me know if you have any questions about Memphis. The city gets a bad rap in the media sometimes, but it’s really pretty decent. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walkable-cheap-rent-fun-life-where/720270/49 "2015-05-28T15:30:06Z")
Hard to do better than Cleveland, OH and it’s first-ring suburbs for what you are looking for. Especially Lakewood, OH. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walkable-cheap-rent-fun-life-where/720270/50 "2015-05-28T22:29:44Z")
Chattanooga TN, has this, plus great scenery. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walkable-cheap-rent-fun-life-where/720270/51 "2015-05-29T12:30:05Z")
Philadelphia, the city I grew up in was famous for low rents and still is. The average rental cost is 84% of the national average. Even food is relatively cheap–relative to NY anyway, although slightly above the national average. The only thing that is out of sight is the cost of car insurance. Thanks to my cousin Jimmy who got rich from ambulance chasing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walkable-cheap-rent-fun-life-where/720270.md?page=2)