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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Premium market, smart picks: while the market trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. Los Angeles at index 160 is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving a desirable market.
Premium market, smart picks: while the market trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. Los Angeles at index 160 is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving a desirable market.
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. And for many people, 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.
In plain English: 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 — for better or worse — , rent $2,742); Portland (index 100, rent $1,710). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
And here's the trade-off: 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.
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 | PortlandOR | 100 | $1,710 | Details |
3,820,914 residents · California
Here's Los Angeles by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. Cost index: 160. Rent: $2,742/month. Income: $80,366/year. Home price: $941,985. Population: 3,820,914. The strongest category is Healthcare at 112; the most expensive is Housing at 160. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are costing renters $10,164 more per year vs. the national median. This alone could tip the scales. Surprising? Maybe. But the data's clear.
630,498 residents · Oregon
Dive into Portland's numbers: cost index 100 (11 points below national average), rent $1,710/month, income $88,792, and a home price of $524,251. And in practical terms, it's fine. Not great, not bad. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 100, while Healthcare runs 100. As a major city with 630,498 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 Portland (ranked #2) has a cost index of 100 and rent of $1,710/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.