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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, these cities represent some of the best deals in America. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Nashville at index 103, where median rent of $1,772/month saves renters $1,476/year versus the national median.
Dollar for dollar, these cities represent some of the best deals in America. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Nashville at index 103, where median rent of $1,772/month saves renters $1,476/year versus the national median.
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, rent $1,772); Milwaukee (index 82, rent $1,398). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
A closer look at Nashville: the cost index of 103 breaks down to a Healthcare index of 101 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 103 (weakest). Median rent is $1,772/month — 6% below the national median — while household income sits at $75,197, meaning locals spend about 28% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
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. 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.
#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 | MilwaukeeWI | 82 | $1,398 | Details |
687,788 residents · Tennessee
Here's Nashville by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 103. Rent: $1,772/month. Income: $75,197/year. Home price: $429,861. Population: 687,788. The strongest category is Healthcare at 101; the most expensive is Housing at 103. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $1,476 per year vs. the national median. That's a spread that makes moving costs look trivial.
561,385 residents · Wisconsin
Dive into Milwaukee's numbers: cost index 82 (29 points below national average), rent $1,398/month, income $51,888, and a home price of $216,278. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 82, while Healthcare runs 96. As a major city with 561,385 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
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 Milwaukee (ranked #2) has a cost index of 82 and rent of $1,398/mo — a 21-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.