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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Let's be honest: these cities aren't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Chicago proves it with a cost index of 134, and we've ranked all 2 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
Let's be honest: these cities aren't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Chicago proves it with a cost index of 134, and we've ranked all 2 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
Why Chicago ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 134 on the cost index, residents spend roughly 23% more than the typical American. Rent sits at $2,292/month while the median household pulls in $75,134/year. The Healthcare category is particularly strong at 107, though Housing (134) lags behind. Home prices average $312,457 — $154,913 below the national median.
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 134, rent $2,292); Tucson (index 82, rent $1,399). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
A closer look reveals a more interesting picture. 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.
It's a strong position — but not without footnotes. The national baseline: 111 cost index, $1,895/month rent, $80,367 household income. That's the yardstick. The cities ranked here complicate that picture in ways that matter for anyone actually planning a move.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
#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
A closer look at Chicago: the cost index of 134 breaks down to a Healthcare index of 107 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 134 (weakest). Median rent is $2,292/month — 21% above the national median — while household income sits at $75,134, meaning locals spend about 37% of income on rent. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median.
547,239 residents · Arizona
Here's Tucson by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 82. Rent: $1,399/month. Income: $54,546/year. Home price: $321,688. Population: 547,239. The strongest category is Housing at 82; the most expensive is Healthcare at 96. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $5,952 per year vs. the national median. That ratio is hard to beat anywhere else.
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 Tucson (ranked #2) has a cost index of 82 and rent of $1,399/mo — a 52-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.