Can you really retire in America and only spend $100 a day? Â Turns out it’s a lot more possible than you might think.
When I started this recent study with AARP, I’d expected only about 20 or 30 U.S. cities would be this affordable.  But I was surprised to discover that most U.S. metro areas have a low enough combination of housing prices and property taxes to meet this criteria.
So what are the best cities for a $100/day retirement?
Based on things like arts and culture, rich community and great restaurants, here’s the Top 10:
| City | State | Population | |
| 1 | Spokane | WA | 471,221 |
| 2 | Las Cruces | NM | 209,233 |
| 3 | Eau Claire | WI | 161,151 |
| 4 | Roanoke | VA | 308,707 |
| 5 | Morgantown | WV | 129,709 |
| 6 | Pittsburgh | PA | 2,356,285 |
| 7 | San Antonio | TX | 2,142,508 |
| 8 | Omaha-Council Bluffs | NE-IA | 865,350 |
| 9 | Grand Junction | CO | 146,723 |
| 10 | Gainesville | FL | 264,275 |
I’m assuming a 25% tax rate, which will reduce your yearly income of $36,500 to $27,375 spendable income. Â That’s $2,281 per month.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics uses a percentage of 31.5% for the housing component of the Consumer Price Index. Â That means that we have $719 per month for mortgage payments and property taxes.
I’m assuming a 20% down payment, which means that with current low interest rates, we can afford a house priced at $192,000. Â Of course, putting up the nearly $40,000 (20% of $192,000) for the down payment may be challenging.
