Budgeting for retirement is as much about your expenses as it is your income, and where you live plays a huge role. You might be surprised — and relieved — to know you’ve got plenty of choices even if your savings are modest.
To find out in which cities a couple on Social Security can live on less than $500 per month in additional income (in other words, income that’s not from Social Security), GOBankingRates used the most recent data from the Social Security Administration (SSA) to determine average benefits for a married couple. We calculated this figure conservatively, assuming one spouse receives benefits based on their own work record and the other receives spousal benefits, and came out with a combined average of $2,970 per month. We compared that figure to cost-of-living data from Numbeo for America’s largest cities, per Census data. Livability Scores from AreaVibes provide additional context.
Here are 16 cities where couples receiving Social Security can live on less than $500 of extra money per month. In two cases, you won’t even need that much — Social Security covers average expenses with money to spare.
Columbus, Ohio
- Total population: 931,551
- Livability: 81
- Monthly cost of living: $3,454
- Monthly cost of living after Social Security: $484
Find Out: 6 Best Side Hustles for Seniors To Offset Social Security Cuts
Read Next: 6 Safe Accounts Proven To Grow Your Money Up To 13x Faster
Fort Worth, Texas
- Total population: 1,014,376
- Livability: 80
- Monthly cost of living: $3,373
- Monthly cost of living after Social Security: $403
Omaha, Nebraska
- Total population: 489,263
- Livability: 83
- Monthly cost of living: $3,319
- Monthly cost of living after Social Security: $349
Jacksonville, Florida
- Total population: 1,009,831
- Livability: 84
- Monthly cost of living: $3,307
- Monthly cost of living after Social Security: $337
Detroit, Michigan
- Total population: 645,702
- Livability: 73
- Monthly cost of living: $3,287
- Monthly cost of living after Social Security: $317
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Total population: 563,512
- Livability: 79
- Monthly cost of living: $3,280
- Monthly cost of living after Social Security: $310
Memphis, Tennessee
- Total population: 610,936
- Livability: 70
- Monthly cost of living: $3,263
- Monthly cost of living after Social Security: $293
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Total population: 713,014
- Livability: 81
- Monthly cost of living: $3,184
- Monthly cost of living after Social Security: $214
Tucson, Arizona
- Total population: 554,011
- Livability: 73
- Monthly cost of living: $3,146
- Monthly cost of living after Social Security: $176
San Antonio, Texas
- Total population: 1,526,621
- Livability: 80
- Monthly cost of living: $3,132
- Monthly cost of living after Social Security: $162
Kansas City, Missouri
- Total population: 516,045
- Livability: 78
- Monthly cost of living: $3,104
- Monthly cost of living after Social Security: $134
Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Total population: 560,333
- Livability: 72
- Monthly cost of living: $3,068
- Monthly cost of living after Social Security: $98
Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Total population: 413,652
- Livability: 75
- Monthly cost of living: $3,042
- Monthly cost of living after Social Security: $72
Louisville, Kentucky
- Total population: 640,793
- Livability: 66
- Monthly cost of living: $3,021
- Monthly cost of living after Social Security: $51
Wichita, Kansas
- Total population: 400,993
- Livability: 68
- Monthly cost of living: $2,969
- Monthly cost of living after Social Security: -$1
El Paso, Texas
- Total population: 681,724
- Livability: 81
- Monthly cost of living: $2,814
- Monthly cost of living after Social Security: -$156
More From GOBankingRates
- Mark Cuban Just Exposed a Social Security Flaw That Every Senior Needs To Watch For
- What 2026 Senior Tax Deduction Means for Social Security and Retirement Planning
- How Middle-Class Earners Are Quietly Becoming Millionaires -- and How You Can, Too
- 6 Safe Accounts Proven to Grow Your Money Up to 13x Faster
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 16 Cities Where Couples on Social Security Need Less Than $500 in Additional Income per Month
