10 Cheapest Cities in the Country

No. 7 cheapest city: Ashland, Ohio
Cost of living index: 86

This city 60 miles southwest of Cleveland boasts the nation's second-best prices for miscellaneous items, with costs running 16.3% below the U.S. average.

You'll also get the 19th-best deal on housing (26.7% below average), as well as smaller discounts on utilities (11.7% less than average) and groceries (2.5% cheaper than average).

Ashland residents pay 3.9% more than average for health care, though, and 3.1% above average for transportation.

Realtor.com has about 225 Ashland properties listed for sale. Prices start at $20,000 for a two-bedroom home and run to $489,000 for a 39-acre estate.

No. 6 cheapest city: Temple, Texas
Cost of living index: 85.7

The Lone Star State hosts three of America's 10 cheapest cities.

Temple, Texas -- in the central part of the state roughly between Dallas and San Antonio -- has below-average prices in all six categories researchers measured.

For openers, the city boasts the nation's fourth-cheapest groceries (18.1% below average) and 12th-least-expensive housing (28.3% less than average).

You'll also save money on transportation (8.2% below average), miscellaneous goods (7.9% less than average), health care (7% under the average) and utilities (0.1% below average).

If you want to take advantage of the city's low prices, Realtor.com has some 560 Temple homes listed for sale, from $20,000 three-bedroom house to a $1.4 million French-style farmhouse.

No. 5 cheapest city: Ardmore, Okla.
Cost of living index: 85.2

Prices in this community some 90 miles south of Oklahoma City trail the U.S. average in all six categories tracked.

For instance, Ardmore features the nation's seventh-best prices for miscellaneous goods, with costs running 12.7% below the U.S. average.