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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
High income and low costs rarely coexist — but Austin pulls it off. At $91,461 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — median household income and a 107 cost index, residents enjoy purchasing power that 19% exceeds the national average. Pretty standard for this type of city. We found t…
Austin earns above the national median ($91,461 vs $80,367) while keeping costs below average (index 107 vs 112). That combination is exceptionally rare — only 36 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.
High income and low costs rarely coexist — but Austin pulls it off. At $91,461 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — median household income and a 107 cost index, residents enjoy purchasing power that 19% exceeds the national average. Pretty standard for this type of city. We found this pattern across 2 cities using 2026 data.
Austin is one of the cheaper options here. Rent is $1,531/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 107. Income sits at $91,461. Fairly typical for a city this size.
Quick aside: when housing takes less of your income, the secondary effects are real — less financial stress, more discretionary spending, better local businesses. A real contender.
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 (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
#1 Ranked: Austin, TX — cost index 107, 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 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AustinTX | 107 | $1,531 | Details |
| 2 | Oklahoma CityOK | 89 | $1,255 | Details |
979,882 residents · Texas
Austin earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 107 cost index sits 5 points below the national baseline, and the $91,461 median income means purchasing power here is genuinely above average. Homes list at $500,627 — $33,257 above the national median, reflecting the metro premium. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 99, while Housing trails at 118.
702,767 residents · Oklahoma
So, Oklahoma City. Cost index of 89, rent at $1,255/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $66,702, which is below the national median. Fairly typical for a city this size.
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 107 and rent of $1,531/mo, while Oklahoma City (ranked #2) has a cost index of 89 and rent of $1,255/mo — a 18-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.