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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
In plain English: the numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Oklahoma stands out at 73 on the index, with rent of $1,255/month and household income of $66,702. That alone makes it worth considering. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data. Surpri…
In plain English: the numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Oklahoma stands out at 73 on the index, with rent of $1,255/month and household income of $66,702. That alone makes it worth considering. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data. Surprising? Maybe. But the data's clear.
Real talk: at $1,255/month for rent and a cost index of 73, Oklahoma is pretty much what you'd expect from a larger city in this part of the country. Income is $66,702. Nothing too surprising there.
It's worth mentioning — though it's outside our data model — that cities with these economics tend to attract remote workers, which can push prices up over time.
Look, Bottom line: Oklahoma, OK leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. 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. The math checks out.
#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 | DetroitMI | 77 | $1,318 | Details |
702,767 residents · Oklahoma
Oklahoma comes in at #1. Rent is $1,255 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — a month. Household income is $66,702. The cost of living index is 73. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is.
633,218 residents · Michigan
Here's Detroit by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). And in practical terms, cost index: 77. Rent: $1,318/month. Income: $39,575/year. That's more or less in line with the region. Home price: $74,828. Population: 633,218. The strongest category is Housing at 77; the most expensive is Healthcare at 95. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $6,924 per year vs. the national median. For anyone relocating from a high-cost market, this will feel like a raise (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 Detroit (ranked #2) has a cost index of 77 and rent of $1,318/mo — a 4-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.