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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Chicago rent up 5% over the past year. Rent in #1-ranked Chicago has increased from $2,179 to $2,292/mo over the past 12 months — a 5% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time.
Chicago rent up 5% over the past year. Rent in #1-ranked Chicago has increased from $2,179 to $2,292/mo over the past 12 months — a 5% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices here — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. 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.
Here's Chicago by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. Cost index: 134. Rent: $2,292/month. Income: $75,134/year. Home price: $312,457. Population: 2,664,452. The strongest category is Healthcare at 107; the most expensive is Housing at 134. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are costing renters $4,764 more per year vs. the national median. This is an advantage that compounds over time.
(Tangentially — this is the kind of city where you can actually build equity on a median salary, which is increasingly rare.)
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. The cities in this ranking challenge those benchmarks. The data here speaks for itself.
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
Chicago rent up 5% over the past year
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
Dive into Chicago's numbers: cost index 134 — for better or worse — (23 points above national average), rent $2,292/month, income $75,134, and a home price of $312,457. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 107, while Housing runs 134. As a major city with 2,664,452 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
716,577 residents · Colorado
Denver earns its position at #2 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 106 cost index sits 5 points below the national baseline, and the $91,681 median income means purchasing power here is genuinely above average. Homes list at $530,920 — $63,550 above the national median, reflecting the metro premium. On the cost side, Healthcare leads the way at 101, while Housing trails at 106.
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 Denver (ranked #2) has a cost index of 106 and rent of $1,818/mo — a 28-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.