TOP U.S. CHEAPSKATE CITIES TO LIVE IN...

Best for cheapskates: Omaha, Nebraska, came up top as the bets city for cheapskates to live in

Among them are the average cost of living, the number of libraries and museums in each city, and the frequency of free activities such as concerts, lectures and performances. The researchers also reviewed the number of Dollar General stores within a 10-mile radius of each city.

Wealthy: Ogden, Utah, has the highest median household income of all the top 'cheapskate' cities in the shortlist

St Louis, in Missouri, is perhaps the most consistently affordable place to live, since last year it topped the same list, and this year it was ranked ninth.

It is the only U.S. city to feature on the magazine's top 10 cheapskate places to live for two consecutive years, although the publication pointing out that the criteria have varied.

Des Moines, Iowa's capital, was ranked third, with both grocery and health care expenses are about 6 per cent cheaper than average

Time Magazine did its own assessment of 2013's best cities for cheapskates and drew the following conclusions.

It noted that of all those in the list, none of them are positioned on the coast, the implication being that coastal cities are expensive to live in.

Columbus, Ohio, ranked fourth, where a gallon of milk will cost you 18.6% less in Columbus than it would in most of the country

Raleigh, North Carolina, has 100 libraries and museums, double the average, including this contemporary art museum designed by Brooks and Scarpa

This is perhaps unsurprising, Time Magazine says, since property prices are higher the closer they are to the coast.

It also noted that no big cities feature on the list; those that did had a population of around 100,000 to 500,000 people, with a few closer to 1million.

The magazine also pointed out that this correlates with recent data which revealed that big U.S. cities such as New York and Chicago also had the lowest uptake in coupon use.

Cincinnati, Ohio, was ranked sixth, where home values in Ohio's largest metro area stand 16 per cent below the national median, at $156,400

College towns and cities generally appeared to be more affordable for cheapskates, the magazine said. And Iowa, Utah and Ohio were the most more affordable states to live in, each with two cities in the shortlist.

Ogden, in Iowa was ranked the second best place for cheapskates to live where the median household income was more that $10,000 over the national average, and cost of living is 10 per cent below.

Salt Lake City, Utah, set among the mountains, was ranked seventh for cheapskates. Here, every year, cheapskates can test out paddleboards at the Outdoor Retailers Summer Market

TOP U.S. CHEAPSKATE CITIES TO LIVE IN...

1. OMAHA, Nebraska

Metro population: 856,222

Cost of living: 12.3% below average

Median household income: $56,346 (U.S. average: $52,762)

Nearby public libraries and museums: 155 (U.S. average: 56)

Dollar Generals within ten miles of downtown: 11

2. OGDEN, Utah

Metro population: 537,608

Cost of living: 10% below the national average

Median household income: $62,340

Nearby public libraries and museums: 66

Dollar Generals within ten miles of downtown: 2

3. DES MOINES, Iowa

Metro population: 562,406

Cost of living: 8.7% below average

Median household income: $59,381

Nearby public libraries and museums: 108

Dollar Generals within ten miles of downtown: 14

4. COLUMBUS, Ohio

Metro population: 1.8 million

Cost of living: 12% below average

Median household income: $54,112

Nearby public libraries and museums: 241

Dollar Generals within ten miles of downtown: 24

5. RALEIGH, North Carolina

Metro population: 1.1 million

Cost of living: 7.8% below average

Median household income: $61,407

Nearby public libraries and museums: 100

Dollar Generals within ten miles of downtown: 8

6. CINCINNATI,Ohio

Metro population: 2.1 million

Cost of living: 9.2% below average

Median household income: $54,651

Nearby public libraries and museums: 284

Dollar Generals within ten miles of downtown: 11

7. SALT LAKE CITY, Utah

Metro population: 1.1 million

Cost of living: 7.3% below average

Median household income: $59,930

Nearby public libraries and museums: 134

Dollar Generals within ten miles of downtown: 0 (but 12 Dollar Tree stores within ten miles)

8. AUSTIN, Texas

Metro population: 1.7 million

Cost of living: 6.9% below average

Median household income: $59,476

Nearby public libraries and museums: 201

Dollar Generals within ten miles of downtown: 17

9. ST LOUIS, Missouri

Metro population: 2.8 million

Cost of living: 8.6% below average

Median household income: $54,149

Nearby public libraries and museums: 450

Dollar Generals within ten miles of downtown: 16

10. CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa

Metro population: 256,799

Cost of living: 6.3% below national average

Median household income: $55,196

Nearby public libraries and museums: 61

Dollar Generals within ten miles of downtown: 7