Money

Here's how much you can earn renting out your apartment in the 15 biggest US cities

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If you're looking to make some extra cash, renting out your apartment can be a good option, especially if you live in a big city.

Those who can rent out real estate using Airbnb earn an average of $924 a month, which makes the app one of the most lucrative gig economy platforms out there, ahead of others like TaskRabbit, Lyft and Uber.

It is important to keep in mind, though, that in some cities, hosting guests through Airbnb or other services is illegal. Make sure to check local laws. Especially if you're a renter yourself, renting may not be an option. If you own, though, you may be sitting on, and sleeping in, a gold mine.

To give you an idea of just how much you can pull in using Airbnb or other similar services, we turned to Tripping.com, a search engine for vacation rentals that offers over 12 million property listings worldwide. The site provided CNBC Make It with the average nightly rates for apartments in major cities.

While you may be able to list your place for more or less than the average, depending on your neighborhood and amenities, here's what you can expect to make per night if you rent out a one- or two-bedroom apartment in the 15 largest U.S. cities.

The cities are listed in ascending order of population.

Columbus, Ohio

Average nightly rate for a 1-bedroom apartment: $95
Average nightly rate for a 2-bedroom apartment: $133

Columbus, Ohio
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San Francisco, Calif.

Average nightly rate for a 1-bedroom apartment: $254
Average nightly rate for a 2-bedroom apartment: $352

San Francisco
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Indianapolis, Ind.

Average nightly rate for a 1-bedroom apartment: $138
Average nightly rate for a 2-bedroom apartment: $240

In Indianapolis, the nation's 15th largest city, homeowners need only earn the median area income in order to afford the median priced home.
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Jacksonville, Fla.

Average nightly rate for a 1-bedroom apartment: $99
Average nightly rate for a 2-bedroom apartment: $188

Jacksonville, Florida
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Austin, Texas

Average nightly rate for a 1-bedroom apartment: $208
Average nightly rate for a 2-bedroom apartment: $280

Austin, Texas
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San Jose, Calif.

Average nightly rate for a 1-bedroom apartment: $222
Average nightly rate for a 2-bedroom apartment: $383

Dowtown San Jose
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Dallas, Texas

Average nightly rate for a 1-bedroom apartment: $113
Average nightly rate for a 2-bedroom apartment: $161

Dallas, Texas.
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San Diego, Calif.

Average nightly rate for a 1-bedroom apartment: $200
Average nightly rate for a 2-bedroom apartment: $250

San Diego
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San Antonio, Texas

Average nightly rate for a 1-bedroom apartment: $101
Average nightly rate for a 2-bedroom apartment: $163

Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas.
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Phoenix, Ariz.

Average nightly rate for a 1-bedroom apartment: $126
Average nightly rate for a 2-bedroom apartment: $125

Phoenix, Arizona skyline
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Philadelphia, Penn.

Average nightly rate for a 1-bedroom apartment: $147
Average nightly rate for a 2-bedroom apartment: $157

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Houston, Texas

Average nightly rate for a 1-bedroom apartment: $153
Average nightly rate for a 2-bedroom apartment: $230

Houston, Texas
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Chicago, Ill.

Average nightly rate for a 1-bedroom apartment: $161
Average nightly rate for a 2-bedroom apartment: $262

Chicago skyline.
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Los Angeles, Calif.

Average nightly rate for a 1-bedroom apartment: $250
Average nightly rate for a 2-bedroom apartment: $325

Los Angeles
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New York City, New York

Average nightly rate for a 1-bedroom apartment: $226
Average nightly rate for a 2-bedroom apartment: $311

New York City
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