See also: How about Costa Rica or France? Best places to retire abroad.



To determine these select places, we began with a theoretical income of $36,500, or $100 a day. After taxes (at 25 percent) that is $27,375, or $2,281 a month. We looked for a median housing cost of $192,000, which means a mortgage of about $719 a month, leaving $1,562 a month for everything else.

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We pared a list of 200 cities down to 10 by homing in on things that make life worth living: the arts and culture, colleges, restaurants, community. Here are our top 10.

Spokane, Wash.

Vibe: Lush green beauty meets smart urban planning

Sunny days per year: 176

Median home price: $145,000

As cities go, Spokane is a consistent award winner, both for its stunning Riverfront Park and its historic downtown. But the surrounding residential areas provide an easygoing livability that is part of the town's character, including wide, tree-shaded streets full of lovely old single-family homes. And because it's a big place — the largest city between Seattle and Minneapolis — there are plenty of urban offerings. Over the decades, it's morphed from a logging and mining backwater to a cultural pearl. The Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture ($5 for seniors), which includes a tour of the historical Campbell House, is considered to be one of the best museums in the Northwest.