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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 from what we can tell, chicago (index 134, rent $2,292/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 from what we can tell, chicago (index 134, rent $2,292/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 2 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
So, Chicago. And in most cases, cost index of 134 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — , rent at $2,292/month. It's higher than the national average. Median income is $75,134, which is below the national median. Fairly typical for a city this size.
What makes this tricky: Nationally, the 288 cities in our database average a cost index of 111, rent of $1,895/month, and household income of $80,367. The cities in this ranking challenge those benchmarks. This is one of those rare cities where the math works from every angle.
Bottom line: Chicago, IL 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: Chicago, IL — cost index 134, rent $2,292/mo, income $75,134
1 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
2,664,452 residents · Illinois
The numbers for Chicago are straightforward: 134 on the cost index, $2,292/month rent, $75,134 income. Not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. You get the picture.
510,823 residents · Georgia
A closer look at Atlanta: the cost index of 110 — for better or worse — breaks down to a Healthcare index of 102 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 110 (weakest). And more often than not, 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 (that's pre-tax, of course).
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.
Chicago (ranked #1) has a cost index of 134 and rent of $2,292/mo, while Atlanta (ranked #2) has a cost index of 110 and rent of $1,888/mo — a 24-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 Chicago is $2,292/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $397 above the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Chicago is $312,457, which is 4.2× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. 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.