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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, these cities represent some of the best deals in America. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Austin at index 89, where median rent of $1,531/month saves renters $4,368/year versus the national median.
Dollar for dollar, these cities represent some of the best deals in America. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Austin at index 89, where median rent of $1,531/month saves renters $4,368/year versus the national median.
Austin comes in at #1. And as a general rule, rent is $1,531 a month. Household income is $91,461. The cost of living index is 89. That's a reasonable number (a figure that keeps climbing, by the way).
Bottom line: Austin, TX leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. And for the typical household, 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 (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
#1 Ranked: Austin, TX — cost index 89, rent $1,531/mo, income $91,461
2 of 2 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
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AustinTX | 89 | $1,531 | Details |
| 2 | Colorado SpringsCO | 97 | $1,667 | Details |
979,882 residents · Texas
The #1 spot goes to Austin, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,531/month — for better or worse — — saving renters $4,368 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 89, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 98. At a 20% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
488,664 residents · Colorado
A closer look at Colorado Springs: the cost index of 97 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — breaks down to a Housing index of 97 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 99 (weakest). It's fine. Not great, not bad. Median rent is $1,667/month — 12% below the national median — while household income sits at $83,198, meaning locals spend about 24% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
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.
Austin (ranked #1) has a cost index of 89 and rent of $1,531/mo, while Colorado Springs (ranked #2) has a cost index of 97 and rent of $1,667/mo — a 8-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 Austin is $1,531/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $364 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Austin is $500,627, 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.
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.