Best CS2 Skins Under $5: Cheap Options on a Budget

Everyone wants a good-looking CS2 inventory, but the reality is – skins can be pretty expensive. However, not all hope is lost: there are still a handful of CS2 skins that look good and will only cost you a few bucks. In this article, we’ll go over the best cheap CS2 skins under 5 dollars.

AK-47 | Ice Coaled (Field-Tested)

• Price: $4.76
• Release Date: July 1st, 2022
• Case: Recoil Case
• Collection: The Recoil Collection
• Rarity: Classified

Having an AK-47 skin in your inventory is basically a must, and if you’re on a budget, the AK-47 | Ice Coaled is our recommended choice. It’s affordable but still looks good, even in Field-Tested. For under five bucks, it’s honestly hard to beat. 

AWP | Duality (Field-Tested)

• Price: $3.91
• Release Date: February 9th, 2023
• Case: Revolution Case
• Collection: The Revolution Collection
• Rarity: Classified

Budget AWP skins are typically pretty forgettable, but the AWP | Duality isn’t one of them. The skin gets personality from the two snakes, each in a different color, slithering across the body. Considering how expensive most CS2 AWP skins are, the Duality is a solid choice in this economy. 

M4A1-S | Liquidation (Field-Tested)

• Price: $3.89
• Release Date: September 16th, 2025
• Case: Sealed Genesis Terminal
• Collection: The Genesis Collection
• Rarity: Restricted

If you’re tired of loud and overdesigned skins, the M4A1-S | Liquidation is a nice change of pace. It keeps things sleek and simple, ensuring all your focus is pooled into aiming down enemies instead of being distracted by your skin. 

UMP-45 | K.O. Factory (Field-Tested)

• Price: $5.00
• Release Date: March 31st, 2025
• Case: Fever Case
• Collection: The Fever Collection
• Rarity: Classified

The UMP-45 is known for sounding and feeling like a toy gun, which is exactly why the K.O. Factory skin fits it so well. This community-made skin features a fun, cartoon-style look that was inspired by old-school animations, giving strong throwback vibes. 

Sawed-Off | Kiss♥Love (Field-Tested)

• Price: $3.74
• Release Date: July 1st, 2022
• Case: Recoil Case
• Collection: The Recoil Collection
• Rarity: Classified

The Sawed-Off | Kiss♥Love is probably one of the most obvious anime-related skins in the entire game. It has a cute pair of eyes staring at your every move while you wield what’s arguably the worst weapon in the entire game. If you like cute stuff and cheap CS2 skins, this one’s an easy choice. 

MP9 | Food Chain (Field-Tested)

• Price: $4.21
• Release Date: May 3rd, 2021
• Case: Snakebite Case
• Collection: The Snakebite Collection
• Rarity: Classified

The MP9 | Food Chain is one of the most popular MP9 skins in the game, and it’s pretty easy to see why. The loud colors make sure everyone notices it in-game. The Food Chain theme is a gentle reminder that in CS, you either eat or get eaten. 

Desert Eagle | Tilted (Factory New)

• Price: $2.51
• Release Date: October 2nd, 2024
• Case: Budapest 2025 Overpass Souvenir Package
• Collection: The Overpass 2024 Collection
• Rarity: Industrial Grade

Let’s be honest – we’re Counter-Strike players, and we get tilted all the time, and that’s where the Desert Eagle | Tilted comes in. This Deagle skin features a cartoon character yelling at their teammates and pointing fingers, which is the exact experience you’ll run into when queuing on European servers. 

MP7 | Smoking Kills (Battle-Scarred)

• Price: $4.99
• Release Date: September 16th, 2025
• Case: Sealed Genesis Terminal
• Collection: The Genesis Collection
• Rarity: Classified

Next up is the anime-themed MP7 | Smoking Kills. This design is breathtaking – quite literally – featuring an anime girl smoking against a bright neon background. Smoking can kill, but in this case, your MP7 should be doing that instead. 

Glock-18 | Candy Apple (Factory New)

• Price: $2.38
• Release Date: November 27th, 2013
• Case: DreamHack 2013 Souvenir Package
• Collection: The Italy Collection
• Rarity: Mil-Spec Grade

Sometimes, less is more – and if you believe in that saying, there’s no better skin than the Glock-18 | Candy Apple. The design is as simple as it gets – no nonsense, just a clean finish. The Candy Apple has been out for over a decade, and real fans never get bored with this skin. 

USP-S | Ticket to Hell (Factory New)

• Price: $2.91
• Release Date: January 20th, 2022
• Case: Dreams & Nightmares 
• Collection: The Dreams & Nightmares Collection
• Rarity: Restricted

The USP-S | Ticket to Hell brings an edgy, eerie vibe, making it the perfect skin if you want to look different. This skin fits perfectly with the Dreams & Nightmares theme, clearly leaning toward the latter side. It’s an easy pick up for under $3 in the best condition available, making it one of the best budget CS2 skins.

M4A4 | Tooth Fairy (Field-Tested)

• Price: $3.89
• Release Date: August 6th, 2020
• Case: Fracture Case
• Collection: The Fracture Collection
• Rarity: Classified

Speaking of eerie designs, the M4A4 | Tooth Fairy fits right in. The design showcases a tooth fairy that is far from what the children’s stories depict it to be. For a skin worth $3, the artwork is well-painted, and the design holds up nicely in-game. If you have a few extra dollars to spend, you can get it in Minimal Wear. 

Galil AR | Chromatic Aberration (Field-Tested)

• Price: $4.30
• Release Date: May 3rd, 2021
• Case: Snakebite Case
• Collection: The Snakebite Collection
• Rarity: Classified

If you like something flashy, the Galil AR | Chromatic Aberration might be your new best friend. This skin uses a mix of neon pink, purple, and black to evoke an eye-catching look, as this skin is (not so) easy on the eyes. The good thing is that wear doesn’t ruin the skin, so Field-Tested works just fine for a CS2 skin under 5 dollars.

MAC-10 | Disco Tech (Field-Tested)

• Price: $4.80
• Release Date: March 31st, 2020
• Case: Prisma 2 Case
• Collection: The Prisma 2 Collection
• Rarity: Classified

One to rave? The MAC-10 | Disco Tech is the perfect way to bring the party into your loadout. The coolest part is that the Disco Tech’s color changes depending on the lighting, meaning maps like Dust II or Ancient really make it shine. 

Dual Berettas | Sweet Little Angels (Field-Tested)

• Price: $4.42
• Release Date: October 2nd, 2024
• Case: Budapest 2025 Overpass Souvenir Package
• Collection: The Overpass 2024 Collection
• Rarity: Restricted

At first glance, the Dual Berettas | Sweet Little Angels looks like one of the cutest skins in the game with its light, pastel colors. That’s until you see the hideous cherubs plastered across the pistols, completely flipping the vibe on its head. Still, it’s a well-designed skin that doesn’t bite your wallet. 

R8 Revolver | Banana Cannon (Minimal Wear)

• Price: $1.12
• Release Date: February 9th, 2023
• Case: Revolution Case
• Collection: The Revolution Collection
• Rarity: Restricted

If you’re using the R8 Revolver, you’re already memeing (unless you’re jL). So, you might as well double down with the R8 Revolver | Banana Cannon skin, which literally turns your weapon into a banana.