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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Premium market, smart picks: while the market trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. New York at index 216 is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving a desirable market.
Premium market, smart picks: while the market trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. New York at index 216 is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving a desirable market.
So, New York. Cost index of 216, rent at $3,706/month. It's higher than the national average. Median income is $79,713, which is below the national median. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is.
This looks affordable — until you factor in housing. In New York, the housing index sits at 216 — above average and worth factoring in.
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: New York, NY — cost index 216, rent $3,706/mo, income $79,713
New York rent up 4% over the past year
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 | New YorkNY | 216 | $3,706 | Details |
| 2 | JacksonvilleFL | 92 | $1,576 | Details |
8,258,035 residents · New York
Why New York ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is. At 216 on the cost index, residents spend roughly 105% more than the typical American. Rent sits at $3,706/month while the median household pulls in $79,713/year. The Healthcare category is particularly strong at 123, though Housing (216) lags behind. Home prices average $812,534 — $345,164 above the national median.
985,843 residents · Florida
Why Jacksonville ranks #2: the numbers tell a clear story. There's not much to say about that beyond the obvious. At 92 on the cost index, residents save roughly 19% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,576/month — we had to double-check this one — while the median household pulls in $66,981/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 92, though Healthcare (98) lags behind. Home prices average $282,367 — $185,003 below the national median. Hard to argue with that.
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.
New York (ranked #1) has a cost index of 216 and rent of $3,706/mo, while Jacksonville (ranked #2) has a cost index of 92 and rent of $1,576/mo — a 124-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 New York is $3,706/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $1,811 above the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in New York is $812,534, which is 10.2× 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.