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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Denver breaks the usual trade-off between income and cost of living. Most affordable cities pay less — but Denver delivers a median household income of $91,681 (14% above the national median) while keeping costs 5 points below national average. That's a rare combination shared by only 40 of the 288 …
Denver breaks the usual trade-off between income and cost of living. Most affordable cities pay less — but Denver delivers a median household income of $91,681 (14% above the national median) while keeping costs 5 points below national average. That's a rare combination shared by only 40 of the 288 cities we track.
Dive into Denver's numbers: cost index 106 (5 points below national average), rent $1,818/month, income $91,681, and a home price of $530,920. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 101, while Housing runs 106. As a major city with 716,577 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
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
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
716,577 residents · Colorado
Denver earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 106 cost index sits 5 points below the national baseline, and the $91,681 median income means purchasing power here is genuinely above average. Homes list at $530,920 — $63,550 above the national median, reflecting the metro premium. On the cost side, Healthcare leads the way at 101, while Housing trails at 106.
547,239 residents · Arizona
What does daily life actually cost in Tucson? Start with the 31% rent-to-income ratio — stretched, especially for single earners. On the category level, Housing (index 82) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 96) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $54,546 and homes at $321,688 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 Tucson (ranked #2) has a cost index of 82 and rent of $1,399/mo — a 24-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.