Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Contrast this with: Nationally, the 288 cities in our database average a cost index of 111, rent of $1,895/month, and household income of $80,367. The cities in this ranking significantly outperform those benchmarks. That's a margin of safety most budgets don't have.
Contrast this with: Nationally, the 288 cities in our database average a cost index of 111, rent of $1,895/month, and household income of $80,367. The cities in this ranking significantly outperform those benchmarks. That's a margin of safety most budgets don't have.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices here — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. Omaha (index 82, rent $1,403/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 2 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
Omaha rent up 3% over the past year. And as a general rule, rent in #1-ranked Omaha has increased from $1,359 to $1,403/mo over the past 12 months — a 3% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time.
A closer look at Omaha: the cost index of 82 breaks down to a Housing index of 82 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 96 (weakest). Median rent is $1,403/month — 26% below the national median — while household income sits at $72,708, meaning locals spend about 23% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
The ranking uses a composite of 2026 data from Census Bureau population/income surveys, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary benchmarks, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Omaha (index 82, rent $1,403); Miami (index 173, rent $2,964). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. And in practical terms, 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: Omaha, NE — cost index 82, rent $1,403/mo, income $72,708
Omaha rent up 3% over the past year
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
483,335 residents · Nebraska
The numbers for Omaha are straightforward: 82 on the cost index, $1,403/month rent, $72,708 income. Not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. You get the picture.
455,924 residents · Florida
Miami comes in at #2. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is. Rent is $2,964 a month. Household income is $59,390. The cost of living index is 173. That's more or less in line with the region.
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.
Omaha (ranked #1) has a cost index of 82 and rent of $1,403/mo, while Miami (ranked #2) has a cost index of 173 and rent of $2,964/mo — a 91-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 Omaha is $1,403/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $492 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Omaha is $288,850, which is 4.0× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. 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.