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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. That tracks. 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. That tracks. 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.
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, rent $2,742); Philadelphia (index 101, rent $1,734). 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. It's fine. Not great, not bad. That's a meaningful edge in practice.
Here's how we'd use this ranking: start with the top 5, click into each city's detail page, and look at the 12-month rent trend. A city that's #3 but trending down beats a city that's #1 but climbing fast. Los Angeles, CA leads today — the trend data below tells you whether it'll lead tomorrow.
#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 | PhiladelphiaPA | 101 | $1,734 | Details |
3,820,914 residents · California
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). That's about what we'd expect given the state context. 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 (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
1,550,542 residents · Pennsylvania
Dive into Philadelphia's numbers: cost index 101 (10 points below national average), rent $1,734/month, income $60,698, and a home price of $229,411. And as a general rule, the city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 100, while Housing runs 101. As a major city with 1,550,542 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
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 Philadelphia (ranked #2) has a cost index of 101 and rent of $1,734/mo — a 59-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.