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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. And from what we can tell, nashville stands out at 103 on the index, with rent of $1,772/month and household income of $75,197. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data. No gimmicks — just good numbers.
The numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. And from what we can tell, nashville stands out at 103 on the index, with rent of $1,772/month and household income of $75,197. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data. No gimmicks — just good numbers.
Dive into Nashville's numbers: cost index 103 (8 points below national average), rent $1,772/month, income $75,197, and a home price of $429,861. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 101, while Housing runs 103. As a major city with 687,788 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
With that foundation in place: Nationally, the 288 cities in our database average a cost index of 111, rent of $1,895/month, and household income of $80,367. And on balance, the cities in this ranking significantly outperform those benchmarks. At this level, the city practically pays for your move.
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 | El PasoTX | 84 | $1,441 | Details |
687,788 residents · Tennessee
In plain English: at $1,772/month for rent and a cost index of 103, Nashville is pretty much what you'd expect from a larger city in this part of the country. That's more or less in line with the region. Income is $75,197. It's fine. Not great, not bad.
678,958 residents · Texas
What does daily life actually cost in El Paso? Start with the 29% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. And in most cases, on the category level, Housing (index 84) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 97) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $58,734 and homes at $231,886 round out a profile that ranks #2 for clear reasons.
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 El Paso (ranked #2) has a cost index of 84 and rent of $1,441/mo — a 19-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.