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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Oklahoma is a genuine bargain: 4 of the 4 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Tulsa leads at an index of 70 with rent at just $1,207/month — 36% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
#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
Oklahoma is a genuine bargain: 4 of the 4 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Tulsa leads at an index of 70 with rent at just $1,207/month — 36% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
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.
Bottom line: Tulsa 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.
411,894 residents · Oklahoma
The #1 spot goes to Tulsa, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,207/month — saving renters $8,256 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 70, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 94. A 25% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
702,767 residents · Oklahoma
Dive into Oklahoma's numbers: cost index 73 (38 points below national average), rent $1,255/month, income $66,702, and a home price of $203,329. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 73, while Healthcare runs 95. As a major city with 702,767 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
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. 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 kind of value just doesn't show up in expensive metros.
119,194 residents · Oklahoma
Dive into Broken Arrow's numbers: cost index 98 (13 points below national average), rent $1,671/month, income $85,220, and a home price of $283,474. That's more or less in line with the region. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 98, while Healthcare runs 100. With 119,194 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
Rent is the single largest expense for most households. We rank all tracked cities in Oklahoma by median 1-bedroom rent (Zillow ZORI) from lowest to highest, filtering out any cities with incomplete data. 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.
Tulsa ranks #1 in Oklahoma for this analysis with a cost index of 70 and median income of $58,407.
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.