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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, these cities represent some of the best deals in America. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 112. Leading the pack: Las Vegas at index 106, where median rent of $1,695/month saves renters $2,400/year versus the national median.
Dollar for dollar, these cities represent some of the best deals in America. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 112. Leading the pack: Las Vegas at index 106, where median rent of $1,695/month saves renters $2,400/year versus the national median.
A closer look at Las Vegas: the cost index of 106 breaks down to a Utilities index of 98 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 116 (weakest). Median rent is $1,695/month — 11% below the national median — while household income sits at $70,723, meaning locals spend about 29% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
Still, the overall picture holds: Nationally, the 288 cities in our database average a cost index of 112, rent of $1,895/month, and household income of $80,367. The cities in this ranking significantly outperform those benchmarks. That gap is hard to ignore.
Straight up: 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. Surprising? Maybe. But the data's clear.
#1 Ranked: Las Vegas, NV — cost index 106, rent $1,695/mo, income $70,723
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
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Las VegasNV | 106 | $1,695 | Details |
| 2 | BaltimoreMD | 96 | $1,708 | Details |
660,929 residents · Nevada
Dive into Las Vegas's numbers: cost index 106 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — (6 points below national average), rent $1,695/month, income $70,723, and a home price of $422,842. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 98, while Housing runs 116. As a major city with 660,929 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
565,239 residents · Maryland
Here's Baltimore by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). And as a general rule, cost index: 96. Rent: $1,708/month. Income: $59,623/year. Home price: $187,545. Population: 565,239. The strongest category is Utilities at 88; the most expensive is Healthcare at 99. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,244 per year vs. the national median. Not many cities can claim this.
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.
Las Vegas (ranked #1) has a cost index of 106 and rent of $1,695/mo, while Baltimore (ranked #2) has a cost index of 96 and rent of $1,708/mo — a 10-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 Las Vegas is $1,695/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $200 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Las Vegas is $422,842, which is 6.0× 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.