Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Charlotte stands out at 100 on the index, with rent of $1,705/month and household income of $78,438. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
The numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Charlotte stands out at 100 on the index, with rent of $1,705/month and household income of $78,438. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
What does daily life actually cost in Charlotte? Start with the 26% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. Fairly typical for a city this size. 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 $78,438 and homes at $393,846 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
Bottom line: Charlotte, NC 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: Charlotte, NC — cost index 100, rent $1,705/mo, income $78,438
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 | CharlotteNC | 100 | $1,705 | Details |
| 2 | Colorado SpringsCO | 97 | $1,667 | Details |
911,311 residents · North Carolina
Here's Charlotte by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 100. Rent: $1,705/month. Income: $78,438/year. Home price: $393,846. Population: 911,311. The strongest category is Healthcare at 100; the most expensive is Healthcare at 100. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,280 per year vs. the national median. At this level, the city practically pays for your move.
488,664 residents · Colorado
Dive into Colorado Springs's numbers: cost index 97 (14 points below national average), rent $1,667/month, income $83,198, and a home price of $446,132. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 97, while Healthcare runs 99. With 488,664 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
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.
Charlotte (ranked #1) has a cost index of 100 and rent of $1,705/mo, while Colorado Springs (ranked #2) has a cost index of 97 and rent of $1,667/mo — a 3-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 Charlotte is $1,705/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $190 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Charlotte is $393,846, which is 5.0× 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.