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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Real talk: Dollar for dollar, these cities represent some of the best deals in America. That's more or less in line with the region. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Philadelphia at index 101, where median rent of $1,734/month saves renters $1,932/year ver…
Real talk: Dollar for dollar, these cities represent some of the best deals in America. That's more or less in line with the region. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Philadelphia at index 101, where median rent of $1,734/month saves renters $1,932/year versus the national median.
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. Philadelphia (index 101, rent $1,734); El Paso (index 84, rent $1,441). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
The #1 spot goes to Philadelphia, and the breakdown explains why. And most of the time, renters here pay $1,734/month — saving renters $1,932 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Healthcare is the standout at index 100, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 101. The 34% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended. Honestly, this is the kind of city that makes you wonder why more people aren't paying attention. The numbers are right there — rent that doesn't eat your paycheck, costs that actually leave room for a life. And yet it barely shows up in the national conversation about affordable places to live. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe that's what keeps it affordable.
If you only look at rent, it's perfect. And most of the time, zoom out and it's complicated. In Philadelphia, the housing index sits at 101 — not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing about (though the trend is moving in the right direction).
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: Philadelphia, PA — cost index 101, rent $1,734/mo, income $60,698
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 | PhiladelphiaPA | 101 | $1,734 | Details |
| 2 | El PasoTX | 84 | $1,441 | Details |
1,550,542 residents · Pennsylvania
Dive into Philadelphia's numbers: cost index 101 (10 points below national average), rent $1,734/month, income $60,698, and a home price of $229,411. And from what we can tell, the city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 100, while Housing runs 101. As a major city with 1,550,542 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
678,958 residents · Texas
Here's El Paso by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 84. Rent: $1,441/month — for better or worse — . Income: $58,734/year. Home price: $231,886. Population: 678,958. The strongest category is Housing at 84; the most expensive is Healthcare at 97. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $5,448 per year vs. the national median. Year over year, that savings rate is portfolio-grade (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
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.
Philadelphia (ranked #1) has a cost index of 101 and rent of $1,734/mo, while El Paso (ranked #2) has a cost index of 84 and rent of $1,441/mo — a 17-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 Philadelphia is $1,734/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $161 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Philadelphia is $229,411, which is 3.8× 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.