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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
These cities are a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Columbus leads at an index of 94 with rent at just $1,415/month — 25% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026 (which,…
These cities are a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Columbus leads at an index of 94 with rent at just $1,415/month — 25% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026 (which, to be fair, is a metric that favors smaller cities).
Why Columbus ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 94 on the cost index, residents save roughly 18% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,415/month while the median household pulls in $65,327/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 84, though Healthcare (96) lags behind. Home prices average $243,005 — $224,365 below the national median.
And here's what ties it all together: For context: the typical American city has a cost index of 112 — make of that what you will — , pays $1,895/month in rent, and earns $80,367 per household. And generally speaking, the top-ranked cities here tell a dramatically different story — one that's worth exploring city by city.
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. Fairly typical for a city this size. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours.
#1 Ranked: Columbus, OH — cost index 94, rent $1,415/mo, income $65,327
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 | ColumbusOH | 94 | $1,415 | Details |
| 2 | Las VegasNV | 106 | $1,695 | Details |
913,175 residents · Ohio
The #1 spot goes to Columbus, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,415/month — we had to double-check this one — — saving renters $5,760 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 84, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 96. A 26% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone (that's pre-tax, of course).
660,929 residents · Nevada
At $1,695/month — for better or worse — for rent and a cost index of 106, Las Vegas is pretty much what you'd expect from a larger city in this part of the country. Income is $70,723. That's about what we'd expect given the state context.
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.
Columbus (ranked #1) has a cost index of 94 and rent of $1,415/mo, while Las Vegas (ranked #2) has a cost index of 106 and rent of $1,695/mo — a 12-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 Columbus is $1,415/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $480 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Columbus is $243,005, which is 3.7× 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.