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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices here — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. That alone makes it worth considering. Dallas (index 93, rent $1,591/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 2 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices here — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. That alone makes it worth considering. Dallas (index 93, rent $1,591/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 2 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
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. Dallas (index 93, rent $1,591); Miami (index 173, rent $2,964). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons. One to watch.
Dive into Dallas's numbers: cost index 93 (18 points below national average), rent $1,591/month, income $67,760, and a home price of $305,523. And broadly, that alone makes it worth considering. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 93, while Healthcare runs 99. As a major city with 1,302,868 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
Great for savings. And in practical terms, less great for healthcare. In Dallas, the healthcare index sits at 99 — not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing about.
Look, Bottom line: Dallas, TX leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. And more often than not, 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: Dallas, TX — cost index 93, rent $1,591/mo, income $67,760
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
1,302,868 residents · Texas
The numbers for Dallas are straightforward: 93 on the cost index, $1,591/month rent, $67,760 income. That alone makes it worth considering. Not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. That's about what we'd expect given the state context. One to watch.
455,924 residents · Florida
Why Miami ranks #2: the numbers tell a clear story. At 173 on the cost index, residents spend roughly 62% more than the typical American. Rent sits at $2,964/month while the median household pulls in $59,390/year. The Healthcare category is particularly strong at 115, though Housing (173) lags behind. Home prices average $573,963 — $106,593 above 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 Miami (ranked #2) has a cost index of 173 and rent of $2,964/mo — a 80-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.