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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. 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.
Let's be honest: these cities aren't cheap. 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.
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. Income is $75,197. That alone makes it worth considering.
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. Nashville (index 103 — and that's before you even look at taxes — , rent $1,772); Miami (index 173, rent $2,964). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
One more layer before the full breakdown: Nationally, the 288 cities in our database average a cost index of 111, rent of $1,895/month, and household income of $80,367. About what you'd guess. The cities in this ranking significantly outperform those benchmarks. For dual-income households, this multiplies into serious savings.
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. And as a general rule, 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
#1 Ranked: Nashville, TN — cost index 103, rent $1,772/mo, income $75,197
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 | NashvilleTN | 103 | $1,772 | Details |
| 2 | MiamiFL | 173 | $2,964 | Details |
687,788 residents · Tennessee
Why Nashville ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. And for the typical household, at 103 on the cost index, residents save roughly 8% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,772/month while the median household pulls in $75,197/year. The Healthcare category is particularly strong at 101, though Housing (103) lags behind. Home prices average $429,861 — $37,509 below the national median.
455,924 residents · Florida
The #2 spot goes to Miami, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $2,964/month — for better or worse — — costing renters $12,828 more per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Healthcare is the standout at index 115, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 173. The 60% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
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 Miami (ranked #2) has a cost index of 173 and rent of $2,964/mo — a 70-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.