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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Put it this way: these cities are a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Dallas leads at an index of 93 with rent at just $1,591/month — 16% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated …
Put it this way: these cities are a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Dallas leads at an index of 93 with rent at just $1,591/month — 16% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
A closer look at Dallas: the cost index of 93 breaks down to a Housing index of 93 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 99 (weakest). And generally speaking, median rent is $1,591/month — 16% below the national median — while household income sits at $67,760, meaning locals spend about 28% of income on rent. That's about what we'd expect given the state context. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
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 | Colorado SpringsCO | 97 | $1,667 | Details |
1,302,868 residents · Texas
Real talk: 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.
488,664 residents · Colorado
A closer look at Colorado Springs: the cost index of 97 breaks down to a Housing index of 97 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 99 (weakest). Median rent is $1,667/month — 12% below the national median — while household income sits at $83,198, meaning locals spend about 24% of income on rent. That's more or less in line with the region. That's a healthy margin by any standard (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
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 Colorado Springs (ranked #2) has a cost index of 97 and rent of $1,667/mo — a 4-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.