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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
These cities are a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Louisville leads at an index of 79 with rent at just $1,352/month — 29% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
These cities are a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Louisville leads at an index of 79 with rent at just $1,352/month — 29% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
Why Louisville ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 79 on the cost index, residents save roughly 32% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,352/month while the median household pulls in $64,731/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 79, though Healthcare (96) lags behind. Home prices average $259,139 — $208,231 below the national median.
Bottom line: Louisville, KY leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
#1 Ranked: Louisville, KY — cost index 79, rent $1,352/mo, income $64,731
2 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 | LouisvilleKY | 79 | $1,352 | Details |
| 2 | AlbuquerqueNM | 85 | $1,457 | Details |
622,981 residents · Kentucky
Why Louisville ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. And as a general rule, at 79 on the cost index, residents save roughly 32% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,352/month while the median household pulls in $64,731/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 79, though Healthcare (96) lags behind. Home prices average $259,139 — $208,231 below the national median.
560,274 residents · New Mexico
Why Albuquerque ranks #2: the numbers tell a clear story. And on balance, at 85 on the cost index, residents save roughly 26% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,457/month while the median household pulls in $65,604/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 85, though Healthcare (97) lags behind. Home prices average $338,329 — $129,041 below the national median.
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.
Louisville (ranked #1) has a cost index of 79 and rent of $1,352/mo, while Albuquerque (ranked #2) has a cost index of 85 and rent of $1,457/mo — a 6-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 Louisville is $1,352/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $543 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Louisville is $259,139, which is 4.0× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. 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.