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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. Los Angeles (index 160, rent $2,742/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 2 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices here — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. Los Angeles (index 160, rent $2,742/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 2 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
Dive into Los Angeles's numbers: cost index 160 (49 points above national average), rent $2,742/month, income $80,366, and a home price of $941,985. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 112, while Housing runs 160. As a major city with 3,820,914 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
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 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — , rent $2,742); Milwaukee (index 82, rent $1,398). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
Flip the lens, and you get a different read: The national baseline: 111 cost index, $1,895/month rent, $80,367 household income. That's the yardstick. The cities ranked here complicate that picture in ways that matter for anyone actually planning a move.
Real talk: What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. 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.
#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 | MilwaukeeWI | 82 | $1,398 | Details |
3,820,914 residents · California
Los Angeles earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. And broadly, 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.
561,385 residents · Wisconsin
Milwaukee is one of the cheaper options here. Rent is $1,398/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 82. Income sits at $51,888. That alone makes it worth considering.
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 Milwaukee (ranked #2) has a cost index of 82 and rent of $1,398/mo — a 78-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.