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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 for many people, oklahoma City leads at an index of 89 with rent at just $1,255/month — 34% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal da…
These cities are a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. And for many people, oklahoma City leads at an index of 89 with rent at just $1,255/month — 34% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
Here's Oklahoma City by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 89. Rent: $1,255/month — though some people might weigh that differently — . Income: $66,702/year. Home price: $203,329. Population: 702,767. The strongest category is Housing at 73; the most expensive is Healthcare at 92. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $7,680 per year vs. the national median. That's not a marginal difference — it reshapes your monthly budget.
Look, There's more to the story, though. There's not much to say about that beyond the obvious. For context: the typical American city has a cost index of 112, pays $1,895/month in rent, and earns $80,367 per household. The top-ranked cities here tell a dramatically different story — one that's worth exploring city by city.
Put it this way: 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 (though the trend is moving in the right direction).
#1 Ranked: Oklahoma City, OK — cost index 89, rent $1,255/mo, income $66,702
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 | Oklahoma CityOK | 89 | $1,255 | Details |
| 2 | NashvilleTN | 108 | $1,772 | Details |
702,767 residents · Oklahoma
A closer look at Oklahoma City: the cost index of 89 — we had to double-check this one — breaks down to a Housing index of 73 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 92 (weakest). Median rent is $1,255/month — 34% below the national median — while household income sits at $66,702, meaning locals spend about 23% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
687,788 residents · Tennessee
No sugarcoating: Here's Nashville by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 108. Rent: $1,772/month. Income: $75,197/year. Home price: $429,861. Population: 687,788. The strongest category is Utilities at 99; the most expensive is Housing at 120. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $1,476 per year vs. the national median. The data here speaks for itself.
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.
Oklahoma City (ranked #1) has a cost index of 89 and rent of $1,255/mo, while Nashville (ranked #2) has a cost index of 108 and rent of $1,772/mo — a 19-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 Oklahoma City is $1,255/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $640 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Oklahoma City is $203,329, which is 3.0× the local median income. That's within the standard 3.5× affordability rule for most local earners. 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.