Are you a renter in the big city – or want to be? Is it hard to find a decent place you can actually afford?  Apparently, the credit crunch means there are too many renters and not enough square footage!

Although the average rent across the U.S. is $1,231 per month, in certain areas it can be triple that number. Landlords can afford to charge such daunting prices because there are so few apartments available in high-demand cities.  CBS MoneyWatch

MoneyWatch averaged the costs of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments across the USA, and came up with the ten most expensive cities for rentals. I hope you’re not on this list! Here are the averages…

10. San Diego: $1,670 per month

9. Seattle: $1,718

8. Miami: $1,742

7. Oakland, Calif.: $1,812

6. San Jose, Calif.: $2,165

5. Los Angeles: $2,177

4. Washington, D.C.: $2,699

3. Boston: $3,190

2. New York: $3,344

1. San Francisco: $3,396

Bet that’s the only time New Yorkers AREN’T upset about NOT being number 1! So, if your town is on the list, so sorry. The good news is that they also figured out the CHEAPEST places to live.  That list is HERE, but be warned: some of these towns have more cattle than people. You get what you pay for!