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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Premium market, smart picks: while the market trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. El Paso at index 84 is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving a desirable market.
Premium market, smart picks: while the market trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. El Paso at index 84 is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving a desirable market.
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.
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: El Paso, TX — cost index 84, rent $1,441/mo, income $58,734
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
678,958 residents · Texas
Here's El Paso by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 84. Rent: $1,441/month. Income: $58,734/year. Home price: $231,886. Population: 678,958. The strongest category is Housing at 84; the most expensive is Healthcare at 97. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $5,448 per year vs. the national median. Not many cities can claim this.
455,924 residents · Florida
Here's Miami by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. Cost index: 173. Rent: $2,964/month. Income: $59,390/year. Home price: $573,963. Population: 455,924. The strongest category is Healthcare at 115; the most expensive is Housing at 173. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are costing renters $12,828 more per year vs. That's more or less in line with the region. the national median. If you plug these numbers into any cost calculator, they hold up.
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 Miami (ranked #2) has a cost index of 173 and rent of $2,964/mo — a 89-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.