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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. And depending on your situation, but within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Nashville proves it with a cost index of 103, and we've ranked all 2 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensi…
Let's be honest: these cities aren't cheap. And depending on your situation, but within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Nashville proves it with a cost index of 103, and we've ranked all 2 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
The #1 spot goes to Nashville, and the breakdown explains why. No major red flags in that number. Renters here pay $1,772/month — saving renters $1,476 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Healthcare is the standout at index 101, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 103. A 28% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
Bottom line: Nashville, TN 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: Nashville, TN — cost index 103, rent $1,772/mo, income $75,197
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 | NashvilleTN | 103 | $1,772 | Details |
| 2 | BaltimoreMD | 100 | $1,708 | Details |
687,788 residents · Tennessee
In plain English: the #1 spot goes to Nashville, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,772/month — saving renters $1,476 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Healthcare is the standout at index 101, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 103. A 28% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
565,239 residents · Maryland
The #2 spot goes to Baltimore, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,708/month — for better or worse — — saving renters $2,244 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Healthcare is the standout at index 100, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Healthcare at 100. The 34% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended. That's not nothing.
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.
Nashville (ranked #1) has a cost index of 103 and rent of $1,772/mo, while Baltimore (ranked #2) has a cost index of 100 and rent of $1,708/mo — a 3-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 Nashville is $1,772/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $123 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Nashville is $429,861, which is 5.7× 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.