Loading
Assembling your view…
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. And in most cases, nashville leads at an index of 103 — we had to double-check this one — with rent at just $1,772/month — 6% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the n…
These cities are a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. And in most cases, nashville leads at an index of 103 — we had to double-check this one — with rent at just $1,772/month — 6% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
What does daily life actually cost in Nashville? Start with the 28% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. And as far as the data shows, on the category level, Healthcare (index 101) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 103) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $75,197 and homes at $429,861 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. And in practical terms, 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 (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
#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 | MesaAZ | 91 | $1,554 | Details |
687,788 residents · Tennessee
What does daily life actually cost in Nashville? Start with the 28% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Healthcare (index 101) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 103) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $75,197 — worth pausing on — and homes at $429,861 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons (more on that below).
511,648 residents · Arizona
Here's Mesa by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). And as a general rule, cost index: 91. Rent: $1,554/month. Income: $78,779/year. Home price: $432,764. Population: 511,648. The strongest category is Housing at 91; the most expensive is Healthcare at 98. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $4,092 per year vs. the national median. This stands out as genuinely impressive.
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 Mesa (ranked #2) has a cost index of 91 and rent of $1,554/mo — a 12-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.