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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
If you've ever wondered why some 'cheap' cities don't feel cheap, this explains it: Austin: high income, low cost — a rare combo. Austin earns above the national median ($91,461 vs $80,367) while keeping costs below average (index 89 vs 111). That combination is exceptionally rare — only 40 of 288 c…
Austin earns above the national median ($91,461 vs $80,367) while keeping costs below average (index 89 vs 111). That combination is exceptionally rare — only 40 of 288 cities share it.
Rent in #1-ranked Austin has decreased from $1,578 to $1,531/mo over the past 12 months — a 3% decrease. The downward trend makes it an even stronger pick.
If you've ever wondered why some 'cheap' cities don't feel cheap, this explains it: Austin: high income, low cost — a rare combo. Austin earns above the national median ($91,461 vs $80,367) while keeping costs below average (index 89 vs 111). That combination is exceptionally rare — only 40 of 288 cities share it.
High income and low costs rarely coexist — but Austin pulls it off. At $91,461 median household income and a 89 cost index, residents enjoy purchasing power that 42% exceeds the national average. We found this pattern across 2 cities using 2026 data.
What does daily life actually cost in Austin? Start with the 20% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Housing (index 89) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 98) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $91,461 and homes at $500,627 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
Bottom line: Austin, TX 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.
#1 Ranked: Austin, TX — cost index 89, rent $1,531/mo, income $91,461
Austin: high income, low cost — a rare combo
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 | Fort WorthTX | 91 | $1,554 | Details |
979,882 residents · Texas
What does daily life actually cost in Austin? Start with the 20% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Housing (index 89) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 98) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $91,461 and homes at $500,627 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons (though the trend is moving in the right direction).
978,468 residents · Texas
What does daily life actually cost in Fort Worth? Start with the 24% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. Not the most exciting stat, but it matters. On the category level, Housing (index 91) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 98) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $76,602 — though some people might weigh that differently — and homes at $295,822 round out a profile that ranks #2 for clear reasons.
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 Fort Worth (ranked #2) has a cost index of 91 and rent of $1,554/mo — a 2-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.