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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.
The #1 spot goes to Los Angeles, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $2,742/month — costing renters $10,164 more per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Healthcare is the standout at index 112, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 160. The 41% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended.
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. Los Angeles (index 160, rent $2,742); 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.
One more layer before the full breakdown: 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 challenge those benchmarks. For families with student loans, that cost gap is a second income.
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 (that's pre-tax, of course).
#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 | Colorado SpringsCO | 97 | $1,667 | 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 — not a number you see very often, by the way — 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.
488,664 residents · Colorado
At $1,667/month for rent and a cost index of 97, Colorado Springs is pretty much what you'd expect from a mid-size city in this part of the country. Income is $83,198. Nothing too surprising there (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
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 Colorado Springs (ranked #2) has a cost index of 97 and rent of $1,667/mo — a 63-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.