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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
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 — for better or worse — and household income of $66,702. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
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 — for better or worse — and household income of $66,702. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
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. 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.
It checks most boxes — but the healthcare costs are the asterisk. And from what we can tell, in Oklahoma, the healthcare index sits at 95 — not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing about (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
Rankings quantify the landscape. But the decision to move is personal. Use the spotlights above to zero in on 2-3 finalists, then run your actual salary through the calculator. The question isn't just "where is it cheapest?" — it's "where does my specific income buy the life I want?" Start here. Dig deeper on the linked city pages (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
#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 | TucsonAZ | 82 | $1,399 | Details |
702,767 residents · Oklahoma
Real talk: a closer look at Oklahoma: the cost index of 73 breaks down to a Housing index of 73 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 95 (weakest). 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.
547,239 residents · Arizona
A closer look at Tucson: the cost index of 82 — worth pausing on — breaks down to a Housing index of 82 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 96 (weakest). Median rent is $1,399/month — 26% below the national median — while household income sits at $54,546, meaning locals spend about 31% of income on rent. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median. One to watch.
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 Tucson (ranked #2) has a cost index of 82 and rent of $1,399/mo — a 9-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.