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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. Chicago (index 111, 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. Chicago (index 111, 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.
Dive into Chicago's numbers: cost index 111 (1 points below national average), rent $2,292/month, income $75,134, and a home price of $312,457. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 102, while Housing runs 127. As a major city with 2,664,452 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
The ranking uses a composite of 2026 data from Census Bureau population/income surveys, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary benchmarks, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Chicago (index 111, rent $2,292); Columbus (index 94, rent $1,415). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
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 111, rent $2,292/mo, income $75,134
Chicago rent up 5% over the past year
2 of 2 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChicagoIL | 111 | $2,292 | Details |
| 2 | ColumbusOH | 94 | $1,415 | Details |
2,664,452 residents · Illinois
Chicago earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 111 cost index sits 1 points below the national baseline, and the $75,134 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $312,457 — $154,913 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. That tracks. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 102, while Housing trails at 127.
913,175 residents · Ohio
Here's Columbus by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 94. Rent: $1,415/month. Income: $65,327/year. Home price: $243,005. Population: 913,175. The strongest category is Housing at 84; the most expensive is Healthcare at 96. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $5,760 per year vs. the national median. In a market where everything is going up, this stands still — in a good way.
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 111 and rent of $2,292/mo, while Columbus (ranked #2) has a cost index of 94 and rent of $1,415/mo — a 17-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.