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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
High income and low costs rarely coexist — but Denver pulls it off. At $91,681 median household income and a 106 cost index, residents enjoy purchasing power that 19% exceeds the national average. We found this pattern across 2 cities using 2026 data.
High income and low costs rarely coexist — but Denver pulls it off. At $91,681 median household income and a 106 cost index, residents enjoy purchasing power that 19% exceeds the national average. We found this pattern across 2 cities using 2026 data.
A closer look at Denver: the cost index of 106 breaks down to a Healthcare index of 101 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 106 (weakest). It lines up with what you'd expect. Median rent is $1,818/month — 4% below the national median — while household income sits at $91,681, meaning locals spend about 24% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
Bottom line: Denver, CO leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. 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: Denver, CO — cost index 106, rent $1,818/mo, income $91,681
Denver: high income, low cost — a rare combo
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
716,577 residents · Colorado
The #1 spot goes to Denver, and the breakdown explains why. And as a general rule, renters here pay $1,818/month — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — — saving renters $924 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Healthcare is the standout at index 101, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 106. At a 24% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
653,833 residents · Massachusetts
What does daily life actually cost in Boston? Start with the 44% rent-to-income ratio — stretched, especially for single earners. And most of the time, on the category level, Healthcare (index 121) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 205) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $94,755 and homes at $768,702 round out a profile that ranks #2 for clear reasons.
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.
Denver (ranked #1) has a cost index of 106 and rent of $1,818/mo, while Boston (ranked #2) has a cost index of 205 and rent of $3,510/mo — a 99-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 Denver is $1,818/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $77 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Denver is $530,920, which is 5.8× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. 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.