Big cities with cheap rents

Many large metro areas have lots of jobs and a vibrant cultural scene -- and it won't cost you half your paycheck to rent an apartment.

In a Manhattan apartment that costs $1,600 a month or more to rent, you'd be lucky to have a separate bedroom, a dishwasher and a living room that fits a full couch.
Get a job transfer to Oklahoma City and a 1,228-square-foot, three-bedroom apartment in a luxury development with its own clubhouse, hot tub and swimming pool can be yours for only $989 a month.
"Renting is a very good value in Oklahoma," says Carmen Goodspeed, broker associate with Price Edwards in Oklahoma City. "It would be hard to find an apartment for $1,000 a month here. There just aren't that many."