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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. Nashville leads at an index of 103 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.
These cities are a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Nashville leads at an index of 103 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.
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); Omaha (index 82, rent $1,403). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
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 and homes at $429,861 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons. Solidly above average.
Real talk: this looks affordable — until you factor in housing. In Nashville, the housing index sits at 103 — not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing about (though the trend is moving in the right direction).
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. 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.
#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 | OmahaNE | 82 | $1,403 | Details |
687,788 residents · Tennessee
The #1 spot goes to Nashville, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,772/month — for better or worse — — 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. The math checks out.
483,335 residents · Nebraska
What does daily life actually cost in Omaha? Start with the 23% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Housing (index 82) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 96) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $72,708 and homes at $288,850 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 Omaha (ranked #2) has a cost index of 82 and rent of $1,403/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.