Are small towns really cheaper than cities?
When I stayed with my relatives, I was about an hour’s drive from the nearest city. For me that was awful. I grew up in a town about 25 miles from the city. But I moved to a city as soon as I turned 18 and have alwas lived in a city since then. I really like being able to go to the grocery store after 9pm if I want to 
Well, my relatives (like a lot of people) live in small towns and at least one of the reasons that they do so is because of the low cost of living. But after being back in a small town I got to wondering if they were really doing themselves any favors.
Housing
Sure, the rent and housing costs are definitely lower in a small town. There is no way I will argue with that.
Food
Food costs are way higher in small towns. I noticed that there is usually only one store. And that store really takes advantage of that fact. In the city, I can get a gallon of milk for around $2.23. In the small town, I hand over a five dollar bill and only get back a few coins for that gallon of milk!
I also noticed a distinct lack of healthy options at the small town grocery store. The produce section was small - super small! And most of the stuff in it was rotten and over priced. There were no berries at all. And that was a bummer for me. There were, however, plenty of salty snacks, sodas, beer and cheap freezer meals. I did not find the Morningstar Farms veggie burgers I wanted though.
Transportation
Ha! No public transportation options in the small town. And gas was about 30 cents higher in the small town than the city.
Employment
Where do these people work? There are limited employment options in the small town. And what job there are can’t pay much. That means having to drive to another place to work - using that 30-cent higher a gallon gas.
So, where is this low cost of living?
August 17th, 2008 at 10:42 am
I so agree. With every item. Have been displaced to a small town, and the only positive is that I can walk any place within 15 minutes. Including out of town.
I am over an hour away from any type of service, and the one thing I miss most, is a coffee shop. Next would be a general type store that I can go to buy a printer cartridge without using lots of gas.
Internet helps, and I order my needs. Post office has never worked so hard.
What I pay for cable tv and internet is outrageous, but there is no competition and everyone just shrugs and says that they are in a rural area and expect. it, as if it is something to be proud about.
Enough of venting.
August 25th, 2008 at 11:40 am
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