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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. Los Angeles proves it with a cost index of 160, 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. Los Angeles proves it with a cost index of 160, and we've ranked all 2 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
A closer look at Los Angeles: the cost index of 160 breaks down to a Healthcare index of 112 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 160 (weakest). Median rent is $2,742/month — 45% above the national median — while household income sits at $80,366, meaning locals spend about 41% of income on rent. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median.
That's the upside. Here's the tension: For context: the typical American city has a cost index of 111, pays $1,895/month in rent, and earns $80,367 per household. The top-ranked cities here tell a more nuanced story — one that's worth exploring city by city.
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.
#1 Ranked: Los Angeles, CA — cost index 160, rent $2,742/mo, income $80,366
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 | Los AngelesCA | 160 | $2,742 | Details |
| 2 | BaltimoreMD | 100 | $1,708 | Details |
3,820,914 residents · California
Why Los Angeles ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 160 on the cost index, residents spend roughly 49% more than the typical American. Rent sits at $2,742/month while the median household pulls in $80,366/year. The Healthcare category is particularly strong at 112, though Housing (160) lags behind. Home prices average $941,985 — $474,615 above the national median.
565,239 residents · Maryland
Here's Baltimore by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 100. Rent: $1,708/month. Income: $59,623/year. Home price: $187,545. Population: 565,239. The strongest category is Healthcare at 100; the most expensive is Healthcare at 100. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,244 per year vs. the national median. This is one of those rare cities where the math works from every angle (which, to be fair, is a metric that favors smaller cities).
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.
Los Angeles (ranked #1) has a cost index of 160 and rent of $2,742/mo, while Baltimore (ranked #2) has a cost index of 100 and rent of $1,708/mo — a 60-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 Los Angeles is $2,742/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $847 above the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Los Angeles is $941,985, which is 11.7× 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.