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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. And with some exceptions, that's about what we'd expect given the state context. Nashville leads at an index of 103 with rent at just $1,772/month — 6% less than the $1,895 nation…
These cities are a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. And with some exceptions, that's about what we'd expect given the state context. 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 (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
At $1,772/month — a detail that tends to get overlooked — 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. Nothing too surprising there. Income is $75,197. It lines up with what you'd expect.
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. That's more or less in line with the region. Nashville (index 103, rent $1,772); Tucson (index 82, rent $1,399). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons. Not even close to the national average.
Now apply that to an actual budget: Nationally, the 288 cities in our database average a cost index of 111 — for better or worse — , rent of $1,895/month, and household income of $80,367. And most of the time, the cities in this ranking significantly outperform those benchmarks. That's a number worth sharing with anyone who says affordable cities can't have good jobs. One to watch.
Here's the thing: 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 broadly, standard stuff, really. 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 | TucsonAZ | 82 | $1,399 | Details |
687,788 residents · Tennessee
A closer look at Nashville: the cost index of 103 — whether that matters depends on your situation — 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.
547,239 residents · Arizona
So, Tucson. Cost index of 82 — though some people might weigh that differently — , rent at $1,399/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $54,546, which is below the national median. There's not much to say about that beyond the obvious.
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 Tucson (ranked #2) has a cost index of 82 and rent of $1,399/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.