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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. Philadelphia leads at an index of 101 with rent at just $1,734/month — 8% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
These cities are a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Philadelphia leads at an index of 101 with rent at just $1,734/month — 8% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
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); Las Vegas (index 99, rent $1,695). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
What does daily life actually cost in Philadelphia? Start with the 34% rent-to-income ratio — stretched, especially for single earners. You get the picture. On the category level, Healthcare (index 100) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 101) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $60,698 and homes at $229,411 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
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 | Las VegasNV | 99 | $1,695 | Details |
1,550,542 residents · Pennsylvania
At $1,734/month for rent and a cost index of 101, Philadelphia is pretty much what you'd expect from a larger city in this part of the country. Income is $60,698. That alone makes it worth considering.
660,929 residents · Nevada
A closer look at Las Vegas: the cost index of 99 breaks down to a Housing index of 99 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 100 (weakest). And as a general rule, median rent is $1,695/month — 11% below the national median — while household income sits at $70,723, meaning locals spend about 29% of income on rent. That alone makes it worth considering. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
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 Las Vegas (ranked #2) has a cost index of 99 and rent of $1,695/mo — a 2-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.