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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, these cities represent some of the best deals in America. And broadly, 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 111 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — . Leading the pack: Philadelphia at index 101, where median rent of $1,734/month saves renters $1,9…
Dollar for dollar, these cities represent some of the best deals in America. And broadly, 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 111 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — . Leading the pack: Philadelphia at index 101, where median rent of $1,734/month saves renters $1,932/year versus the national median (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
Here's Philadelphia by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 101. Rent: $1,734/month. Income: $60,698/year. Home price: $229,411. Population: 1,550,542. The strongest category is Healthcare at 100; the most expensive is Housing at 101. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $1,932 per year vs. the national median. On a fixed income, this is the metric that matters most.
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. It lines up with what you'd expect. Philadelphia (index 101, rent $1,734); Tucson (index 82, rent $1,399). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
No gimmicks — just good numbers.
The other side of the coin: 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. At this level, the city practically pays for your move (we double-checked this one).
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. And broadly, 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 | TucsonAZ | 82 | $1,399 | Details |
1,550,542 residents · Pennsylvania
A closer look at Philadelphia: the cost index of 101 — and that's before you even look at taxes — breaks down to a Healthcare index of 100 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 101 (weakest). Median rent is $1,734/month — 8% below the national median — while household income sits at $60,698, meaning locals spend about 34% of income on rent. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median.
547,239 residents · Arizona
Why Tucson ranks #2: the numbers tell a clear story. At 82 on the cost index, residents save roughly 29% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,399/month — this is the part where it gets real — while the median household pulls in $54,546/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 82, though Healthcare (96) lags behind. Home prices average $321,688 — $145,682 below the national median. A real contender.
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 Tucson (ranked #2) has a cost index of 82 and rent of $1,399/mo — a 19-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.