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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, these cities represent some of the best deals in America. And with some exceptions, 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 112 — we had to double-check this one — . Leading the pack: Oklahoma City at index 89, where median rent of $1,255/month saves renters $7,680/y…
Dollar for dollar, these cities represent some of the best deals in America. And with some exceptions, 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 112 — we had to double-check this one — . Leading the pack: Oklahoma City at index 89, where median rent of $1,255/month saves renters $7,680/year versus the national median.
Oklahoma City is one of the cheaper options here. And from what we can tell, rent is $1,255/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 89. Income sits at $66,702. No major red flags in that number.
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. Oklahoma City (index 89, rent $1,255); 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.
It's a strong position — but not without footnotes. And most of the time, nationally, the 288 cities in our database average a cost index of 112 — for better or worse — , rent of $1,895/month, and household income of $80,367. The cities in this ranking significantly outperform those benchmarks. The data here speaks for itself (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
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 more often than not, 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. That's a reasonable number. The data is here; the decision is yours.
#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 | OmahaNE | 96 | $1,403 | Details |
702,767 residents · Oklahoma
The #1 spot goes to Oklahoma City, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,255/month — saving renters $7,680 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 73, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 92. At a 23% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
483,335 residents · Nebraska
A closer look at Omaha: the cost index of 96 — and yes, that's adjusted for the region — breaks down to a Utilities index of 88 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 99 (weakest). Median rent is $1,403/month — 26% below the national median — while household income sits at $72,708, meaning locals spend about 23% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard (if you're keeping score at home).
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 Omaha (ranked #2) has a cost index of 96 and rent of $1,403/mo — a 7-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.