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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices here — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. And more often than not, baltimore (index 100, rent $1,708/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 2 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices here — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. And more often than not, baltimore (index 100, rent $1,708/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 2 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
The numbers for Baltimore are straightforward: 100 on the cost index, $1,708/month rent, $59,623 income. Not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. That's about what we'd expect given the state context.
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours.
#1 Ranked: Baltimore, MD — cost index 100, rent $1,708/mo, income $59,623
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 | BaltimoreMD | 100 | $1,708 | Details |
| 2 | AtlantaGA | 110 | $1,888 | Details |
565,239 residents · Maryland
What does daily life actually cost in Baltimore? Start with the 34% rent-to-income ratio — stretched, especially for single earners. That tracks. On the category level, Healthcare (index 100) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 100) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $59,623 and homes at $187,545 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
510,823 residents · Georgia
A closer look at Atlanta: the cost index of 110 breaks down to a Healthcare index of 102 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 110 (weakest). And depending on your situation, median rent is $1,888/month — 0% above the national median — while household income sits at $81,938, meaning locals spend about 28% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
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.
Baltimore (ranked #1) has a cost index of 100 and rent of $1,708/mo, while Atlanta (ranked #2) has a cost index of 110 and rent of $1,888/mo — a 10-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 Baltimore is $1,708/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $187 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Baltimore is $187,545, which is 3.1× the local median income. That's within the standard 3.5× affordability rule for most local earners. 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.