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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Dallas stands out at 93 on the index, with rent of $1,591/month and household income of $67,760. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
The numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Dallas stands out at 93 on the index, with rent of $1,591/month and household income of $67,760. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
Look, Why Dallas ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 93 on the cost index, residents save roughly 18% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,591/month while the median household pulls in $67,760/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 93, though Healthcare (99) lags behind. Home prices average $305,523 — $161,847 below the national median (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
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. And roughly speaking, dallas (index 93, rent $1,591); Albuquerque (index 85, rent $1,457). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons (that's pre-tax, of course).
And there's one more thing: The national baseline: 111 cost index, $1,895/month rent, $80,367 household income. That's the yardstick. The cities ranked here blow past it — starting with Dallas at just 93 on the index.
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. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours.
#1 Ranked: Dallas, TX — cost index 93, rent $1,591/mo, income $67,760
2 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
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DallasTX | 93 | $1,591 | Details |
| 2 | AlbuquerqueNM | 85 | $1,457 | Details |
1,302,868 residents · Texas
Dallas is one of the cheaper options here. And generally speaking, rent is $1,591/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 93. Income sits at $67,760. Fairly typical for a city this size.
560,274 residents · New Mexico
In plain English: Why Albuquerque ranks #2: the numbers tell a clear story. And depending on your situation, at 85 on the cost index, residents save roughly 26% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,457/month while the median household pulls in $65,604/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 85, though Healthcare (97) lags behind. Home prices average $338,329 — $129,041 below the national median.
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.
Dallas (ranked #1) has a cost index of 93 and rent of $1,591/mo, while Albuquerque (ranked #2) has a cost index of 85 and rent of $1,457/mo — a 8-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 Dallas is $1,591/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $304 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Dallas is $305,523, which is 4.5× 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.