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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Let's be honest: Oklahoma isn't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Frisco proves it with a cost index of 118, the lowest in Oklahoma, and we've ranked all 282 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
Let's be honest: Oklahoma isn't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Frisco proves it with a cost index of 118, the lowest in Oklahoma, and we've ranked all 282 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
Why Frisco ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 118 on the cost index, residents spend roughly 6% more than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,751/month — for better or worse — while the median household pulls in $146,158/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 108, though Housing (145) lags behind. Home prices average $653,858 — $186,488 above the national median.
The ranking uses a composite of 2026 data from Census Bureau population/income surveys, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary benchmarks, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Frisco (index 118, rent $1,751); Naperville (index 122, rent $2,157); Sugar Land (index 112, rent $1,990). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
Digging deeper, Here's the state-level backdrop: Oklahoma averages a 93 cost index, $1,356/mo rent, and $68,847 income across 4 cities. That's $539 less than the national rent average. Energy economy and persistently low costs — and that context shapes every city in this ranking.
Real talk: 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 (that's pre-tax, of course).
#1 Ranked: Frisco — cost index 118, rent $1,751/mo, income $146,158
172 of 282 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
225,007 residents · Texas
Dive into Frisco's numbers: cost index 118 (6 points above national average), rent $1,751/month, income $146,158, and a home price of $653,858. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 108, while Housing runs 145. With 225,007 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs. Surprising? Maybe. But the data's clear.
150,245 residents · Illinois
What does daily life actually cost in Naperville? Start with the 17% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Utilities (index 112) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 154) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $150,937 — for better or worse — and homes at $594,498 round out a profile that ranks #2 for clear reasons.
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.
116,320 residents · Texas
Frankly, Why League ranks #5: the numbers tell a clear story. At 105 on the cost index, residents save roughly 7% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,764/month while the median household pulls in $119,870/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 97, though Housing (113) lags behind. Home prices average $368,400 — $98,970 below the national median.
We pull all cities outside Oklahoma and rank them by value ratio (income ÷ cost index). Cities offering lower costs or higher income than Oklahoma'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 Oklahoma 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 #282) 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.
Oklahoma 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.