When you add transportation costs in—gas, insurance, upkeep, commuting—your overall expenses can be considerably higher if you live far away from a city, even if you bought a home at what seemed to be a bargain price compared to prime locations.
To find neighborhoods that are truly affordable (and those that are most definitely not), check out the Housing and Transportation Affordability Index, which, as you’d guess, incorporates the costs of both shelter and getting around relative to income, as a WalletPop post describes.