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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Real talk: Let's be honest: New Hampshire isn't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Manchester proves it with a cost index of 111 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — , the lowest in New Hampshire, and we've ranked…
#1 Ranked: Manchester — cost index 111, rent $1,976/mo, income $77,415
1 of 1 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
Real talk: Let's be honest: New Hampshire isn't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Manchester proves it with a cost index of 111 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — , the lowest in New Hampshire, and we've ranked all 1 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
What does daily life actually cost in Manchester? Start with the 31% rent-to-income ratio — stretched, especially for single earners. On the category level, Utilities (index 102) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 128) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $77,415 and homes at $427,321 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
The transportation sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. A score of 106 (the top-10 average here) means transportation costs are about -6% below the national median. Manchester leads at 106. Note: a low transportation index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below.
Bottom line: Manchester 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.
| Rank | City | Transportation Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester | 106 | 111 | $1,976 | Details |
115,474 residents · New Hampshire
Why Manchester ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 111 on the cost index, residents save roughly 1% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,976/month while the median household pulls in $77,415/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 102, though Housing (128) lags behind. Home prices average $427,321 — $40,049 below the national median.
Manchester ranks #1 in New Hampshire for this analysis with a cost index of 111 and median income of $77,415.
Manchester, NH has the lowest transportation index at 106, 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.
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 Manchester is $1,976/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $81 above the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Manchester is $427,321, which is 5.5× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
New Hampshire has a 0% state income tax rate — one of the states with no income tax. Combined state and local sales tax averages 0%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.57%.
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.