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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Las Vegas stands out at 99 on the index, with rent of $1,695/month and household income of $70,723. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
The numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Las Vegas stands out at 99 on the index, with rent of $1,695/month and household income of $70,723. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
Here's Las Vegas by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 99. Rent: $1,695/month — not a number you see very often, by the way — . Income: $70,723/year. Home price: $422,842. Population: 660,929. The strongest category is Housing at 99; the most expensive is Healthcare at 100. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,400 per year vs. the national median. That ratio is hard to beat anywhere else.
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. Las Vegas (index 99, rent $1,695); Colorado Springs (index 97, rent $1,667). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
Not even close to the national average.
What makes this tricky: 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. This is quietly one of the better values out there. Worth a deeper look.
Bottom line: Las Vegas, NV 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: Las Vegas, NV — cost index 99, rent $1,695/mo, income $70,723
2 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 | Las VegasNV | 99 | $1,695 | Details |
| 2 | Colorado SpringsCO | 97 | $1,667 | Details |
660,929 residents · Nevada
Real talk: a closer look at Las Vegas: the cost index of 99 breaks down to a Housing index of 99 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 100 (weakest). And in most cases, 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.
488,664 residents · Colorado
A closer look at Colorado Springs: the cost index of 97 breaks down to a Housing index of 97 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 99 (weakest). And for the typical household, median rent is $1,667/month — 12% below the national median — while household income sits at $83,198, meaning locals spend about 24% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
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 99 and rent of $1,695/mo, while Colorado Springs (ranked #2) has a cost index of 97 and rent of $1,667/mo — a 2-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.