Honestly, if you're on a tight budget in a city, the best outdoor furniture isn't one perfect set. It's a mix of stackable, foldable, weather-resistant, and secondhand pieces. You might be working with a balcony, a small stoop, a rooftop corner, or a shared courtyard, so space and portability matter as much as price.
The most affordable options I'd look at first are resin stacking chairs. They're usually $15 to $30 each at Walmart, Target, or Amazon, and sometimes $5 to $10 used. They wipe clean, don't mind rain, and stack in a closet. Pair two with a small folding bistro table, which often costs $50 to $100 new but can be $20 to $50 on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.
If you want a bench or sofa, go DIY. A wooden pallet can be free or $10 from a local business, and with a few sanding pads and outdoor sealant, it becomes a bench. Add cheap outdoor cushions or even indoor pillows you bring inside after use. Cinder blocks and lumber are another classic budget build: two stacks of blocks plus a couple of 2x4s or pavers makes a sturdy bench for $20 to $40. It's heavy, so it's best for a patio you control, not a rental balcony you need to clear often.
Thrift stores, Habitat ReStore, flea markets, and college move-out piles are gold mines for metal benches, small side tables, and plant stands. A used metal bench might be $10 to $40 and lasts for years if you touch up rust. Camping chairs are also underrated: $20 to $40, fold flat, and work for tiny balconies. They won't last forever, but they're cheap and easy to store.
Where to buy: Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, Craigslist, Buy Nothing groups, IKEA clearance, Walmart end-of-season, Target patio clearance in late summer, and local hardware stores in fall. Buy off-season if you can. In September, patio furniture gets marked down fast.
A few budget tips: measure your space before buying anything. Choose pieces that fold, stack, or nest. Skip particleboard and untreated steel. If it will get rained on, look for resin, aluminum, galvanized metal, teak, or cedar. Use an outdoor rug, string lights, and a few plants to make basic furniture feel intentional. Store cushions indoors so they don't get moldy.
For most tight budgets, the winning combo is two resin stacking chairs, a small folding table, and either a thrifted metal bench or a DIY pallet/cinder-block seat. You can put together a usable urban outdoor spot for $75 to $150, and often less if you're patient with secondhand finds. It won't look like a magazine, but it'll be comfortable, cheap, and easy to move when you need to.