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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
These cities are a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Fresno leads at an index of 105 with rent at just $1,693/month — 11% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
These cities are a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Fresno leads at an index of 105 with rent at just $1,693/month — 11% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
Why Fresno ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 105 on the cost index, residents save roughly 7% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,693/month — we had to double-check this one — while the median household pulls in $66,804/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 96, though Housing (112) lags behind. Home prices average $386,426 — $80,944 below the national median.
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: Fresno, CA — cost index 105, rent $1,693/mo, income $66,804
2 of 2 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
545,716 residents · California
Put it this way: Here's Fresno by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 105. Rent: $1,693/month. Income: $66,804/year. Home price: $386,426. Population: 545,716. The strongest category is Utilities at 96; the most expensive is Housing at 112. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,424 per year vs. the national median. If you're debt-free, those savings go straight to building wealth (a figure that keeps climbing, by the way).
510,704 residents · Missouri
The way we see it, Here's Kansas by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 94. Rent: $1,418/month. Income: $67,449/year. Home price: $245,199. Population: 510,704. The strongest category is Housing at 85; the most expensive is Healthcare at 97. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $5,724 per year vs. the national median. This is worth factoring into any relocation decision.
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.
Fresno (ranked #1) has a cost index of 105 and rent of $1,693/mo, while Kansas (ranked #2) has a cost index of 94 and rent of $1,418/mo — a 11-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 Fresno is $1,693/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $202 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Fresno is $386,426, 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.