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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: Baltimore at index 100, where median rent of $1,708/month saves renters $2,244/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: Baltimore at index 100, where median rent of $1,708/month saves renters $2,244/year versus the national median.
Dive into Baltimore's numbers: cost index 100 (11 points below national average), rent $1,708/month, income $59,623, and a home price of $187,545. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 100, while Healthcare runs 100. As a major city with 565,239 residents, amenities and job markets are robust (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling). Solidly above average.
Now, stack that against what people actually earn here: Nationally, the 288 cities in our database average a cost index of 111, rent of $1,895/month, and household income of $80,367. And with some exceptions, the cities in this ranking significantly outperform those benchmarks. That's not a marginal difference — it reshapes your monthly budget.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
#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 | TucsonAZ | 82 | $1,399 | Details |
565,239 residents · Maryland
Dive into Baltimore's numbers: cost index 100 (11 points below national average), rent $1,708/month, income $59,623, and a home price of $187,545. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 100, while Healthcare runs 100. As a major city with 565,239 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
547,239 residents · Arizona
The #2 spot goes to Tucson, and the breakdown explains why. Fairly typical for a city this size. Renters here pay $1,399/month — saving renters $5,952 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 82, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 96. The 31% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
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 Tucson (ranked #2) has a cost index of 82 and rent of $1,399/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 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.