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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, these cities represent some of the best deals in America. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: El Paso at index 84, where median rent of $1,441/month saves renters $5,448/year versus the national median.
Dollar for dollar, these cities represent some of the best deals in America. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: El Paso at index 84, where median rent of $1,441/month saves renters $5,448/year versus the national median.
The #1 spot goes to El Paso, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,441/month — saving renters $5,448 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 84, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 97. A 29% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone. There's an argument to be made — and I think the data supports it — that the cities getting all the attention right now are exactly the wrong places to move. The spotlight drives migration, migration drives demand, demand drives costs, and eventually the value proposition disappears. Meanwhile, cities like this one keep quietly being affordable, and the people who find them early are the ones who benefit most.
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. El Paso (index 84, rent $1,441); Las Vegas (index 99, rent $1,695). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
Put differently: For context: the typical American city has a cost index of 111, pays $1,895/month in rent, and earns $80,367 per household. The top-ranked cities here tell a dramatically different story — one that's worth exploring city by city.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
#1 Ranked: El Paso, TX — cost index 84, rent $1,441/mo, income $58,734
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 | El PasoTX | 84 | $1,441 | Details |
| 2 | Las VegasNV | 99 | $1,695 | Details |
678,958 residents · Texas
El Paso earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 84 cost index sits 27 points below the national baseline, and the $58,734 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $231,886 — $235,484 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 84, while Healthcare trails at 97.
660,929 residents · Nevada
A closer look at Las Vegas: the cost index of 99 breaks down to a Housing index of 99 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 100 (weakest). Median rent is $1,695/month — 11% below the national median — while household income sits at $70,723, meaning locals spend about 29% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
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.
El Paso (ranked #1) has a cost index of 84 and rent of $1,441/mo, while Las Vegas (ranked #2) has a cost index of 99 and rent of $1,695/mo — a 15-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 El Paso is $1,441/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $454 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in El Paso is $231,886, which is 3.9× 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.