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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 108, 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 108, and we've ranked all 2 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
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 108, rent $1,772); Omaha (index 96, 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, Utilities (index 99) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 120) 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 120 — above average and worth factoring in (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 108, rent $1,772/mo, income $75,197
2 of 2 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NashvilleTN | 108 | $1,772 | Details |
| 2 | OmahaNE | 96 | $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, Utilities is the standout at index 99, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 120. 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, Utilities (index 88) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 99) 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 108 and rent of $1,772/mo, while Omaha (ranked #2) has a cost index of 96 and rent of $1,403/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.