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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. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Fresno proves it with a cost index of 99, and we've ranked all 2 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
Let's be honest: these cities aren't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Fresno proves it with a cost index of 99, and we've ranked all 2 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
A closer look at Fresno: 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 $1,693/month — 11% below the national median — while household income sits at $66,804, meaning locals spend about 30% of income on rent. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median.
That said, Nationally, the 288 cities in our database average a cost index of 111 — we had to double-check this one — , rent of $1,895/month, and household income of $80,367. The cities in this ranking significantly outperform those benchmarks. This alone could tip the scales.
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. It's fine. Not great, not bad. The data is here; the decision is yours (we double-checked this one).
#1 Ranked: Fresno, CA — cost index 99, rent $1,693/mo, income $66,804
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 | FresnoCA | 99 | $1,693 | Details |
| 2 | SacramentoCA | 117 | $2,006 | Details |
545,716 residents · California
A closer look at Fresno: the cost index of 99 — for better or worse — breaks down to a Housing index of 99 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 100 (weakest). Median rent is $1,693/month — 11% below the national median — while household income sits at $66,804, meaning locals spend about 30% of income on rent. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median.
526,384 residents · California
The #2 spot goes to Sacramento, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $2,006/month — we had to double-check this one — — costing renters $1,332 more per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Healthcare is the standout at index 103, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 117. A 29% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
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 99 and rent of $1,693/mo, while Sacramento (ranked #2) has a cost index of 117 and rent of $2,006/mo — a 18-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.