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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices here — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. Oklahoma (index 73, rent $1,255/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 2 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices here — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. Oklahoma (index 73, rent $1,255/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 2 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
The numbers for Oklahoma are straightforward: 73 on the cost index, $1,255/month rent, $66,702 income. Not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. It lines up with what you'd expect.
The same data, viewed through a different lens: The national baseline: 111 cost index, $1,895/month — we had to double-check this one — rent, $80,367 household income. Moving on. That's the yardstick. The cities ranked here blow past it — starting with Oklahoma at just 73 on the index.
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: Oklahoma, OK — cost index 73, rent $1,255/mo, income $66,702
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 | OklahomaOK | 73 | $1,255 | Details |
| 2 | BostonMA | 205 | $3,510 | Details |
702,767 residents · Oklahoma
Oklahoma earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 73 cost index sits 38 points below the national baseline, and the $66,702 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $203,329 — $264,041 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 73, while Healthcare trails at 95.
653,833 residents · Massachusetts
Here's Boston by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. And depending on your situation, cost index: 205. Rent: $3,510/month. Income: $94,755/year. Home price: $768,702. Population: 653,833. The strongest category is Healthcare at 121; the most expensive is Housing at 205. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are costing renters $19,380 more per year vs. the national median. On a fixed income, this is the metric that matters most (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
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 (ranked #1) has a cost index of 73 and rent of $1,255/mo, while Boston (ranked #2) has a cost index of 205 and rent of $3,510/mo — a 132-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 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 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.