Cosmetics have always had a huge place in the gaming world. Some people are willing to spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on in-game skins. You’ll be surprised how much the most expensive CS2 skins can go for.
However, not everyone has extra money to spend on skins. I’ve always found myself looking for bargains on the Steam Marketplace or trading sites to get the skin I want. I’m sure plenty of players are in the same boat, so I’ve gathered a handful of cheap but fantastic CS2 skins to elevate your inventory.
MP5-SD | Phosphor
Date Released: December 6, 2018
Price Range: $2.30 – $7.30
Case: Danger Zone Case
The MP5-SD Phosphor skin is the perfect skin for players looking to stand out and get a ton of attention in the lobby. It has a dark navy blue base which makes for the perfect background for the array of dripping neon colors found on the gun. The neon colors include teal near the barrel, green on the body, and pink on the rear.
Desert Eagle | Light Rail
Date Released: March 13, 2019
Price Range: $0.55 – $3.95
Case: Prisma Case
The Desert Eagle Light Rail is an excellent choice for such a deadly yet cheap weapon skin. It has a gradient design with gold, copper, and silver colors transitioning to black on the weapon. It’s one of the skins that greatly benefitted from the CS2 transition, thanks to its sleek metallic finish. I’m actually surprised that it remained pretty budget-friendly.
XM1014 | XOXO
Date Released: May 3, 2021
Price Range: $1.00 – $7.50
Case: Snakebite Case
Next up, we have yet another bright and vividly colored cheap CS2 weapon skin. This time, it’s the XM1014 XOXO. The base of the skin primarily remains plain black. However, the body and barrel are covered in a neon blue base with Xs and Os all over. It’s one way to stand out in a lobby.
Glock-18 | Off World
Date Released: September 14, 2017
Price Range: $0.05 – $0.60
Case: Spectrum 2 Case
We’ve got our first sub-$1 skin in Factory New condition. It’s the perfect choice for extremely budget gamers looking for dirt-cheap prices. It highlights a blue-coated body with scuff marks and scratches all over. The color also slowly transitions to a darker blue, turning black at the bottom.
USP-S | Cortex
Date Released: February 14, 2018
Price Range: $1.40 – $8.90
Case: Clutch Case
The USP-S Cortex has a unique design that features a skeleton’s brain splattered all over the weapon. The bubblegum-like brain somehow forms the word “USP” on the barrel. All of this is on top of a brown base with various patterns.
P250 | See Ya Later
Date Released: September 14, 2017
Price Range: $2.30 – $8.50
Case: Spectrum 2 Case
The P250 See Ya Later skin has a creative, cartoonish design that’s perfect for kids at heart. The pistol is transformed into a mechanical crocodile, almost looking like it comes from an entirely different game. The attention to detail on the skin is just superb and provides bright splashes of green and yellow to CS2.
Desert Eagle | Night Heist
Date Released: December 3, 2020
Price Range: $6.70 – $9.75
Case: N/A, The Havoc Collection
Next up, we have yet another Deagle skin in the Desert Eagle Night Heist. It has a great concept that the artist exceptionally executed. It has an anodized base layer with a dark purple/blueish hue. You can see the outlines of a map on the base with scribbles of orange ink that detail the Night Heist plan.
AWP | Atheris
Date Released: March 13, 2019
Price Range: $1.50 – $11.45
Case: Prisma Case
The AWP Atheris is one of the perfect cheap CS2 AWP skins for players who prefer plain designs. It has a black base with a hand-painted snake slithering all throughout the body. It has this elegant feel that can only be explained by the predator waiting for prey to come along.
Glock-18 | Water Elemental
Date Released: July 1, 2014
Price Range: $3.40 – $12.20
Case: Operation Breakout Weapon Case
The Glock-18 Water Elemental is a beautiful pistol focusing on a majestic water creature on the gun’s body. It has a red finish with glistening water droplets splashed all over the gun. This matches well with the light blue exterior of the water elemental featured on the gun.
Desert Eagle | Mecha Industries
Date Released: April 27, 2016
Price Range: $1.64 – $8.79
Case: Chroma 3 Case
The honor of the final Deagle appearance belongs to the Mecha Industries skin. It features a sleek, almost assassin-like aesthetic with its black-and-white futuristic style. Accents of beige and red elements complete the weapon’s look while providing some extra color.
Galil AR | Chromatic Aberration
Date Released: May 3, 2021
Price Range: $1.00 – $8.80
Case: Snakebite Case
The Galil AR Chromatic Aberration skin provides a great contrast between black and neon colors, making it look pleasing to the eyes. The weapon has a custom-painted black body with offset neon pink colors scattered all over. Some notable designs include a star near the magazine and a line of numbers matched with a smiley face near the rear.
SG 553 | Dragon Tech
Date Released: July 1, 2022
Price Range: $0.35 – $1.80
Case: Recoil Case
The SG 553 Dragon Tech features a green mechanized dragon front and center of the gun, staring directly at you. The weapon also has decals of green fireballs all over. Nothing screams “Dragon!” more than fireballs.
AWP | Duality
Date Released: February 9, 2023
Price Range: $4.30 – $20.75
Case: Revolution Case
The AWP is one of the most popular weapons in the game, so we have no shortage of AWP skins on our list. The AWP Duality is one of the newer releases, presenting an exquisite posture with snakes and flowers primarily coating the skin. However, it also has golden markings and patterns, complementing the solid black coated base.
M4A1-S | Night Terror
Date Released: January 20, 2022
Price Range: $0.60 – $2.25
Case: Dreams & Nightmares Case
If you’re a fan of terrifying skins, the M4A1-S Night Terror might be an excellent cheap CS2 skin for you to buy. It features an insanely creepy woman whose thoughts are scribbled in a bloody red color all over the weapon. This culminates in a chilling look that’ll have your enemies feeling goosebumps before you even shoot at them.
Sawed-Off | Apocalypto
Date Released: March 31, 2020
Price Range: $0.20 – $1.40
Case: Prisma 2 Case
Next, we have one of our cheapest CS2 skins on the list at just under $1.40. Even though it’s a cheap skin, the Sawed-Off Apocalypto still brings a ton of flare to the table. It features a green zombified hand reaching out to a bomb that’s made to look like the Earth. The background is also situated in outer space with a purple finish.
SSG 08 | Ghost Crusader
Date Released: April 27, 2016
Price Range: $0.20 – $2.50
Case: Chroma 3 Case
A budget skin for the budget AWP seems like a fitting entry on the list. The Ghost Crusader has a silver and white base, creating this very futuristic and robotic style. The attention to detail is magnificent, and small prints, symbols, and patterns balances everything by bringing color to the skin.
AWP | PAW
Date Released: August 1, 2018
Price Range: $1.20 – $3.75
Case: Horizon Case
If you’re an animal lover, then you’re definitely going to love the AWP PAW skin. From the name itself, you can probably already guess that the skin puts our furry feline and canine friends front and center. The skin is covered with dozens of cute and adorable puppies and kittens in various colors.
M4A4 | Spider Lily
Date Released: September 22, 2021
Price Range: $1.60 – $13.50
Case: Operation Riptide Case
Things are starting to get interesting as we get into some wallet-friendly rifle skins. The M4A4 Spider Lily combines blue and red colors to create a blooming flower that radiates a glowing aura. Its relatively neutral yet standout design makes for a great addition to any player’s inventory.
M4A1-S | Leaded Glass
Date Released: September 14, 2017
Price Range: $3.85 – $10.10
Case: Spectrum 2 Case
The M4A1-S Leaded Glass skin was inspired by the stained glass art often found in cathedrals and other religious buildings. It comprises blue, orange, and yellow shards placed together to create an abstract look. I think it’s a great pickup if you like simple yet unique designs.
Dual Berettas | Melondrama
Date Released: January 20, 2022
Price Range: $1.10 – $8.50
Case: Dreams & Nightmares Case
Next up, we have a pair of handy pistols covered in creepy watermelons threatening you to be careful of sleeping. The artist covered the weapon’s body in a deep navy blue color with red melon colors on the base. The watermelon slices stare at your soul with a creepy smile, completing the insanely scary yet fantastic look.
AK-47 | Rat Rod
Date Released: November 18, 2019
Price Range: $3.30 – $9.05
Case: Shattered Web Case
Rat Rod has one of the more distinct aesthetics, following a scrappunk-esque design. The predominantly blue base color is slowly eaten up by rust, and duct tape is placed to add some grip. It also features stickers and inscriptions to complete the look.
FAMAS | Rapid Eye Movement
Date Released: January 8, 2015
Price Range: $5.37 – $25.76
Case: Chroma Case
Have you ever had the feeling that someone’s watching you even when no one is around? Well, it might be the FAMAS Rapid Eye Movement. Its main accents are the eyes found in every inch of the weapon. This effect creates a disturbing yet fantastic look you can’t find on any other skin.
M4A1-S | Emphorosaur-S
ate Released: February 9, 2023
Price Range: $0.70 – $3.60
Case: Revolution Case
The Emphorosaur-S continues our recent trend of eye-based skins. It centers around a prehistoric creature with a single eyeball peeping around and forcing its claws to escape from the weapon. It’s one of the cheapest M4A1-S skins, but the color and detail look superb, especially with the new CS2 engine.
M4A4 | Tooth Fairy
Date Released: August 6, 2020
Price Range: $2.30 – $8.00
Case: Fracture Case
Modern fairy tales are usually cute and fluffy stories for children. However, the M4A4 Tooth Fairy skin couldn’t be farther from it. The skin has a terrifying take on the Tooth Fairy, reimagining it as a twisted skeleton-like figure. The gun also has incisors, molars, and “don’t sleep” scattered all over. I strongly suggest it if you’re in the market for a cheap M4A4 skin.
AK-47 | Phantom Disruptor
Date Released: March 31, 2020
Price Range: $3.65 – $9.60
Case: Prisma 2 Case
The Phantom Disruptor offers great value and brings a whole lot of life to the plain AK-47. The Phantom Disruptor features an unknown creature with multiple mouths, eyes, and swirls all over. The white, blue, and yellow custom paint job is done over a matte black finish, giving it a clean look. It’s perfect for flexing on those newbs while trying to climb the CS2 ranks.
Conclusion
The Phantom Disruptor tops our list of the best cheap CS2 skins because of its amazingly creepy look and great price for a rifle skin. It’s one of those skins that look way more expensive than they actually are and will have you standing out in a lobby.
Owning beautiful skins doesn’t have to hurt your wallet. There are plenty of cheap, stunning skins out there. You just have to know where to look. Did we miss one of your favorite cheap CS2 skins? Make sure to comment it down below.
