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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Let's be honest: these cities aren't cheap. And roughly speaking, but within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Fort Worth proves it with a cost index of 91, and we've ranked all 2 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscap…
Let's be honest: these cities aren't cheap. And roughly speaking, but within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Fort Worth proves it with a cost index of 91, and we've ranked all 2 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
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. Fort Worth (index 91, rent $1,554); Boston (index 205, rent $3,510). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
Dive into Fort Worth's numbers: cost index 91 (20 points below national average), rent $1,554/month, income $76,602, and a home price of $295,822. It lines up with what you'd expect. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 91, while Healthcare runs 98. As a major city with 978,468 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
This looks affordable — until you factor in healthcare. In Fort Worth, the healthcare index sits at 98 — not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing about.
Bottom line: Fort Worth, TX 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 (that's pre-tax, of course).
#1 Ranked: Fort Worth, TX — cost index 91, rent $1,554/mo, income $76,602
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
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fort WorthTX | 91 | $1,554 | Details |
| 2 | BostonMA | 205 | $3,510 | Details |
978,468 residents · Texas
Why Fort Worth ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 91 on the cost index, residents save roughly 20% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,554/month while the median household pulls in $76,602/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 91, though Healthcare (98) lags behind. Home prices average $295,822 — $171,548 below the national median (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
653,833 residents · Massachusetts
Look, Why Boston ranks #2: the numbers tell a clear story. At 205 on the cost index, residents spend roughly 94% more than the typical American. Rent sits at $3,510/month while the median household pulls in $94,755/year. The Healthcare category is particularly strong at 121, though Housing (205) lags behind. Home prices average $768,702 — $301,332 above the national median. Quietly competitive.
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.
Fort Worth (ranked #1) has a cost index of 91 and rent of $1,554/mo, while Boston (ranked #2) has a cost index of 205 and rent of $3,510/mo — a 114-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 Fort Worth is $1,554/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $341 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Fort Worth is $295,822, 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.