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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, few states match Oklahoma's value. 4 out of 4 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Tulsa at index 70, where median rent of $1,207/month saves renters $8,256/year versus the national median.
411,894 residents · Oklahoma
In plain English: What does daily life actually cost in Tulsa? Start with the 25% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Housing (index 70) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 94) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $58,407 and homes at $212,757 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
702,767 residents · Oklahoma
What does daily life actually cost in Oklahoma? Start with the 23% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Housing (index 73) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 95) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $66,702 and homes at $203,329 round out a profile that ranks #2 for clear reasons.
130,046 residents · Oklahoma
Here's Norman by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 75. Rent: $1,289/month — we had to double-check this one — . Income: $65,060/year. Home price: $257,977. Population: 130,046. The strongest category is Housing at 75; the most expensive is Healthcare at 95. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $7,272 per year vs. the national median. That's a margin of safety most budgets don't have.
119,194 residents · Oklahoma
Why Broken Arrow ranks #4: the numbers tell a clear story. And with some exceptions, at 98 on the cost index, residents save roughly 13% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,671/month while the median household pulls in $85,220/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 98, though Healthcare (100) lags behind. Home prices average $283,474 — $183,896 below the national median.
#1 Ranked: Tulsa — cost index 70, rent $1,207/mo, income $58,407
4 of 4 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Dollar for dollar, few states match Oklahoma's value. 4 out of 4 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Tulsa at index 70, where median rent of $1,207/month saves renters $8,256/year versus the national median.
Dive into Tulsa's numbers: cost index 70 (41 points below national average), rent $1,207/month, income $58,407, and a home price of $212,757. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 70, while Healthcare runs 94. With 411,894 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours.
Tulsa ranks #1 in Oklahoma for this analysis with a cost index of 70 and median income of $58,407.
Tulsa, OK has the lowest food & groceries index at 90, compared to the national average of 100.
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.
Tulsa (ranked #1) has a cost index of 70 and rent of $1,207/mo, while Broken Arrow (ranked #4) has a cost index of 98 and rent of $1,671/mo — a 28-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 Tulsa is $1,207/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $688 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Tulsa is $212,757, which is 3.6× 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 4.75% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.97%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.82%.
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.