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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 as far as the data shows, oklahoma leads at an index of 73 — this is the part where it gets real — with rent at just $1,255/month — 34% less than the $1,895 national median. …
These cities are a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. And as far as the data shows, oklahoma leads at an index of 73 — this is the part where it gets real — 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. That's not nothing.
In plain English: Why Oklahoma ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. And on balance, at 73 on the cost index, residents save roughly 38% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,255/month — for better or worse — while the median household pulls in $66,702/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 73, though Healthcare (95) lags behind. Home prices average $203,329 — $264,041 below the national median.
(Tangentially — this is the kind of city where you can actually build equity on a median salary, which is increasingly rare.)
None of this exists in a vacuum, though. And on balance, take it or leave it — the data is what it is. For context: the typical American city has a cost index of 111, 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.
Real talk: 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.
#1 Ranked: Oklahoma, OK — cost index 73, rent $1,255/mo, income $66,702
2 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 | Colorado SpringsCO | 97 | $1,667 | Details |
702,767 residents · Oklahoma
What does daily life actually cost in Oklahoma? Start with the 23% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. And depending on your situation, on the category level, Housing (index 73) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 95) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $66,702 and homes at $203,329 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
488,664 residents · Colorado
Look, Here's Colorado Springs by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 97. Rent: $1,667/month. Income: $83,198/year. Fairly typical for a city this size. Home price: $446,132. Population: 488,664. The strongest category is Housing at 97; the most expensive is Healthcare at 99. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,736 per year vs. the national median. In the context of rising national rents, this stability is worth noting.
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 Colorado Springs (ranked #2) has a cost index of 97 and rent of $1,667/mo — a 24-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.