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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 — this is the part where it gets real — 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 — this is the part where it gets real — and household income of $78,438. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
The #1 spot goes to Charlotte, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,705/month — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — — saving renters $2,280 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Healthcare is the standout at index 100, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Healthcare at 100. A 26% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
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. Surprising? Maybe. But the data's clear.
#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 | El PasoTX | 84 | $1,441 | 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 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — . 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. On a fixed income, this is the metric that matters most.
678,958 residents · Texas
Here's El Paso by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 84. Rent: $1,441/month. Income: $58,734/year. Home price: $231,886. Population: 678,958. The strongest category is Housing at 84; the most expensive is Healthcare at 97. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $5,448 per year vs. the national median. Financially, that's significant.
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 El Paso (ranked #2) has a cost index of 84 and rent of $1,441/mo — a 16-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.