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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. Oklahoma City proves it with a cost index of 89, 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. Oklahoma City proves it with a cost index of 89, and we've ranked all 2 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
Look, a closer look at Oklahoma City: the cost index of 89 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — breaks down to a Housing index of 73 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 92 (weakest). That's more or less in line with the region. 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 (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
Digging deeper, Nationally, the 288 cities in our database average a cost index of 112 — worth pausing on — , rent of $1,895/month, and household income of $80,367. 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 (we double-checked this one).
Bottom line: Oklahoma City, OK leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. And in practical terms, click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes). An outlier in the best sense.
#1 Ranked: Oklahoma City, OK — cost index 89, rent $1,255/mo, income $66,702
1 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 | WashingtonDC | 125 | $2,406 | Details |
702,767 residents · Oklahoma
Dive into Oklahoma City's numbers: cost index 89 — we had to double-check this one — (23 points below national average), rent $1,255/month, income $66,702, and a home price of $203,329. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 73, while Healthcare runs 92. As a major city with 702,767 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
678,972 residents · District of Columbia
So, Washington. That's more or less in line with the region. Cost index of 125, rent at $2,406/month. It's higher than the national average. Median income is $106,287, which is above average. You get the picture.
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 Washington (ranked #2) has a cost index of 125 and rent of $2,406/mo — a 36-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.