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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. Fairly typical for a city this size. Las Vegas (index 99 — we had to double-check this one — , rent $1,695/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 2 cities to find where your m…
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices here — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. Fairly typical for a city this size. Las Vegas (index 99 — we had to double-check this one — , rent $1,695/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 2 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
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 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — . 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's the sort of advantage that turns renters into homeowners (that's pre-tax, of course).
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); Miami (index 173, rent $2,964). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
Keep reading — the next section adds critical context. 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 (that's pre-tax, of course).
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. And most of the time, the difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
#1 Ranked: Las Vegas, NV — cost index 99, rent $1,695/mo, income $70,723
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 | Las VegasNV | 99 | $1,695 | Details |
| 2 | MiamiFL | 173 | $2,964 | Details |
660,929 residents · Nevada
What does daily life actually cost in Las Vegas? Start with the 29% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Housing (index 99) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 100) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $70,723 and homes at $422,842 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
455,924 residents · Florida
The #2 spot goes to Miami, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $2,964/month — costing renters $12,828 more per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Healthcare is the standout at index 115, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 173. The 60% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended.
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 Miami (ranked #2) has a cost index of 173 and rent of $2,964/mo — a 74-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.