With airline ticket and hotel prices spiraling out of control, travelers are having a hard time deciding which city to visit next in the United States. Here is a comprehensive list of the 50 cheapest cities to visit and why you should visit the top three.
According to the ranking, Mesa (Arizona) came in first place as the most reasonably priced city in the US with the nicest weather to visit this year, followed by Tucson (Arizona) and El Paso (TX).
Mesa
Affordability rank: 5
Weather rank: 1
Here you can get a three-course meal for two for $66 (as opposed to about $85 in San Francisco), and a four-star or better hotel stay will typically cost you about $230 (as opposed to about $750 in New York).
Additionally, Mesa has excellent weather, with average July temperatures of roughly 94°F.
Tucson
Affordability rank: 4
Weather rank: 4
Tucson isn’t the least expensive city on the list, but it’s quite close, just like Mesa.
The Sonoran Desert in Saguaro National Park, for example, is one of the many attractions in Tucson, which has a warm, dry environment (the average July temperature is 86.5°F) (spot wildlife and the tallest cacti in North America).
Also enjoy the world’s biggest privately funded air museum, the Pima Air and Space Museum, and the Mount Lemmon Scenic Byway (one of the most scenic drives in southeast Arizona)
El Paso
Affordability rank: 1
Weather rank: 12
El Paso is the greatest option if budget is really a priority. The average cost of a hotel room (four stars and more) is $174 per night, and a three-course lunch for two shouldn’t exceed $38.
beers cost not even $3 in a bar (in Oakland it’s $7).
El Paso is a border town with a strong Mexican influence, a long history, and a vibrant culture.
You may also learn about the history of the border patrol at the Border Patrol Museum, sample the tastiest real Mexican cuisine, and see White Sands National Monument’s miles of rolling white dunes.