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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices here — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. Jacksonville (index 92, rent $1,576/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 2 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices here — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. Jacksonville (index 92, rent $1,576/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 2 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
A closer look at Jacksonville: the cost index of 92 breaks down to a Housing index of 92 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 98 (weakest). Median rent is $1,576/month — 17% below the national median — while household income sits at $66,981, meaning locals spend about 28% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room. That's not nothing.
The trade-off becomes clearer when you add healthcare into the mix. Nationally, the 288 cities in our database average a cost index of 111, rent of $1,895/month, and household income of $80,367. The cities in this ranking significantly outperform those benchmarks. That's a red flag worth investigating further (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
Bottom line: Jacksonville, FL 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.
#1 Ranked: Jacksonville, FL — cost index 92, rent $1,576/mo, income $66,981
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 | JacksonvilleFL | 92 | $1,576 | Details |
| 2 | WashingtonDC | 140 | $2,406 | Details |
985,843 residents · Florida
Real talk: the numbers for Jacksonville are straightforward: 92 on the cost index, $1,576/month rent, $66,981 income. That alone makes it worth considering. Not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. That alone makes it worth considering. A real contender.
678,972 residents · District of Columbia
Here's Washington by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. Cost index: 140. Rent: $2,406/month. Income: $106,287/year. Home price: $574,016. Population: 678,972. The strongest category is Healthcare at 108; the most expensive is Housing at 140. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are costing renters $6,132 more per year vs. the national median. That's a red flag worth investigating further.
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.
Jacksonville (ranked #1) has a cost index of 92 and rent of $1,576/mo, while Washington (ranked #2) has a cost index of 140 and rent of $2,406/mo — a 48-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 Jacksonville is $1,576/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $319 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Jacksonville is $282,367, which is 4.2× 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.