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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Here's the thing: Premium market, smart picks: while Colorado trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. Frisco at index 118 is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving Colorado (your mileage may vary — lit…
#1 Ranked: Frisco — cost index 118, rent $1,751/mo, income $146,158
172 of 275 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Here's the thing: Premium market, smart picks: while Colorado trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. Frisco at index 118 is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving Colorado (your mileage may vary — literally).
What does daily life actually cost in Frisco? Start with the 14% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Utilities (index 108) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 145) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $146,158 and homes at $653,858 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons (that's pre-tax, of course).
And here's the trade-off: Across Colorado, the average cost of living index is 111 — 1 points below the national median. And for the typical household, not the most exciting stat, but it matters. Known for outdoor lifestyle with a rising price tag, the state offers 11 tracked cities with median rents averaging $1,765/month. That's $130 less than the national average of $1,895. In the context of rising national rents, this stability is worth noting.
Bottom line: Frisco leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
225,007 residents · Texas
Here's Frisco by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. And with some exceptions, cost index: 118. Rent: $1,751/month. Income: $146,158/year. Home price: $653,858. Population: 225,007. The strongest category is Utilities at 108; the most expensive is Housing at 145. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $1,728 per year vs. the national median. That's a strong position by any measure. That's not nothing.
150,245 residents · Illinois
The #2 spot goes to Naperville, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $2,157/month — costing renters $3,144 more per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 112, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 154. At a 17% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget (worth flagging for anyone on a fixed income).
108,515 residents · Texas
Sugar Land earns its position at #3 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 112 cost index sits 0 points above the national baseline, and the $137,511 median income means purchasing power here is partially offset by higher costs. Homes list at $440,419 — $26,951 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 103, while Housing trails at 130.
111,620 residents · Texas
Why Allen ranks #4: the numbers tell a clear story. At 109 on the cost index, residents save roughly 3% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,634/month while the median household pulls in $129,130/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 100, though Housing (122) lags behind. Home prices average $497,016 — $29,646 above the national median (that's pre-tax, of course).
116,320 residents · Texas
What does daily life actually cost in League? Start with the 18% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. Nothing too surprising there. On the category level, Utilities (index 97) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 113) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $119,870 and homes at $368,400 round out a profile that ranks #5 for clear reasons.
We pull all cities outside Colorado and rank them by value ratio (income ÷ cost index). Cities offering lower costs or higher income than Colorado's averages surface first. Population and rent data provide additional context. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Frisco ranks #1 in Colorado for this analysis with a cost index of 118 and median income of $146,158.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Frisco (ranked #1) has a cost index of 118 and rent of $1,751/mo, while Mesquite (ranked #275) has a cost index of 94 and rent of $1,397/mo — a 24-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Frisco is $1,751/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $144 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Frisco is $653,858, which is 4.5× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. The national median home price is $467,370.
Colorado has a 0% state income tax rate — one of the states with no income tax. Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.19%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.6%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.