20 Cities Where Groceries Cost as Much as (or Even More Than) Your Rent
Rising food costs continue to squeeze household budgets, with some Americans paying more for groceries each month than for rent.
A new analysis from MoneyLion identified six cities where families of four do just that on average -- plus a bunch more cities where grocery prices match or nearly match rental costs.
The key to this combo isn’t just those high grocery prices. It’s also increasingly rare, sub-$1,000 monthly rental costs. Take Carbondale, Illinois, where the average monthly rent for a family of four is just $662. That’s well below the monthly cost of groceries for four -- $759.
To rank United States cities based on rent versus grocery costs, MoneyLion dug into data from Sperling’s BestPlaces, Zillow and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Most of the locations in MoneyLion’s top 20 are found in the Midwest.
Key Findings
Carbondale’s monthly cost of groceries compared to rent (+$97) is the most egregious example where a city's average grocery cost outweighs the price of rent. Greenville, Ohio, is second, with rental costs coming in about $88 higher than rent.
Alton, a south Texas city, has the highest total monthly cost of living among the 20 locales listed -- $4,132. The least-expensive spot for monthly living costs is Clarksville, Arkansas, at $2,809.
None of the cities listed crack the 80 mark in livability score from AreaVibes (where the general idea is that cities with close to a 100 are very livable -- the residents there experience low crime rates and access to great amenities and public education, among other factors). Livability figures for cities in the list range from 65 (Connersville, Indiana) to 78 (Watertown, South Dakota).
The cities are also relatively small, ranging in population from 3,700 (Aledo, Illinois) to 28,000 (Garden City, Kansas).
Here’s a city-by-city breakdown.
1. Carbondale, Illinois
Monthly cost of groceries: $759
Monthly cost of rent: $662
Total monthly cost of living: $3,164
2. Greenville, Ohio
Monthly cost of groceries: $763
Monthly cost of rent: $675
Total monthly cost of living: $2,866
3. Clarksville, Arkansas
Monthly cost of groceries: $743
Monthly cost of rent: $675
Total monthly cost of living: $2,809
4. Indiana, Pennsylvania
Monthly cost of groceries: $793
Monthly cost of rent: $769
Total monthly cost of living: $3,101
5. Alton, Texas
Monthly cost of groceries: $1,079
Monthly cost of rent: $1,048
Total monthly cost of living: $4,132
6. Valley City, North Dakota
Monthly cost of groceries: $765
Monthly cost of rent: $763
Total monthly cost of living: $3,014
7. Aledo, Illinois
Monthly cost of groceries: $746
Monthly cost of rent: $750
Total monthly cost of living: $3,014
8. Maryville, Missouri
Monthly cost of groceries: $767
Monthly cost of rent: $774
Total monthly cost of living: $3,103
9. South Charleston, West Virginia
Monthly cost of groceries: $785
Monthly cost of rent: $800
Total monthly cost of living: $3,341
10. Emporia, Kansas
Monthly cost of groceries: $742
Monthly cost of rent: $767
Total monthly cost of living: $3,094
11. Watertown, South Dakota
Monthly cost of groceries: $802
Monthly cost of rent: $825
Total monthly cost of living: $3,170
12. Wheeling, West Virginia
Monthly cost of groceries: $783
Monthly cost of rent: $822
Total monthly cost of living: $3,177
13. Clinton, Iowa
Monthly cost of groceries: $739
Monthly cost of rent: $781
Total monthly cost of living: $3,133
14. Fairfield, Iowa
Monthly cost of groceries: $755
Monthly cost of rent: $800
Total monthly cost of living: $3,213
15. Garden City, Kansas
Monthly cost of groceries: $770
Monthly cost of rent: $817
Total monthly cost of living: $3,204
16. Ponca City, Oklahoma
Monthly cost of groceries: $729
Monthly cost of rent: $784
Total monthly cost of living: $3,390
17. Red Oak, Iowa
Monthly cost of groceries: $744
Monthly cost of rent: $809
Total monthly cost of living: $3,082
18. Rolla, Missouri
Monthly cost of groceries: $766
Monthly cost of rent: $831
Total monthly cost of living: $3,151
19. New Kensington, Pennsylvania
Monthly cost of groceries: $782
Monthly cost of rent: $848
Total monthly cost of living: $3,196
20. Connersville, Indiana
Monthly cost of groceries: $723
Monthly cost of rent: $795
Total monthly cost of living: $2,970
Methodology: For this study, MoneyLion identified places where the average cost of groceries is higher than the average cost of rent for a family of four. Cost-of-living indexes were sourced from Sperling's BestPlaces, and locations with an average cost of groceries 10% higher than the national average were identified. Using the Zillow Observed Rental Index, the average cost of rent for multi-unit buildings was sourced, and cities with an average rent of $1,100 or more were identified. The national average for expenditures (sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024 Consumer Expenditure Survey for the married couple with children -- oldest 6 to 17) was used to calculate the average cost of expenditures for a family of four in each city. Using the average rent cost and the average groceries cost, the cities were sorted to show the places where groceries cost as much as or more than rent. The livability index was sourced from AreaVibes and included as supplemental information. All data is up to date as of March 18, 2026.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
More From MoneyLion: