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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.
Los Angeles is one of the cheaper options here. Rent is $2,742/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 160. Income sits at $80,366. That's about what we'd expect given the state context.
Now, the part that complicates the narrative: 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 dual-income households, this multiplies into serious savings.
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. And on balance, 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 | Las VegasNV | 99 | $1,695 | Details |
3,820,914 residents · California
Los Angeles earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 160 cost index sits 49 points above the national baseline, and the $80,366 — for better or worse — median income means purchasing power here is partially offset by higher costs. Homes list at $941,985 — $474,615 above the national median, reflecting the metro premium. On the cost side, Healthcare leads the way at 112, while Housing trails at 160.
660,929 residents · Nevada
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). 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.
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 Las Vegas (ranked #2) has a cost index of 99 and rent of $1,695/mo — a 61-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.