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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. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 112. Leading the pack: Phoenix at index 104, where median rent of $1,556/month saves renters $4,068/year versus the national median.
Dollar for dollar, these cities represent some of the best deals in America. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 112. Leading the pack: Phoenix at index 104, where median rent of $1,556/month saves renters $4,068/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. Phoenix (index 104, rent $1,556); Columbus (index 94, rent $1,415). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
A closer look at Phoenix: the cost index of 104 breaks down to a Utilities index of 95 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 109 (weakest). Median rent is $1,556/month — 18% below the national median — while household income sits at $77,041, meaning locals spend about 24% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
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: Phoenix, AZ — cost index 104, rent $1,556/mo, income $77,041
2 of 2 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PhoenixAZ | 104 | $1,556 | Details |
| 2 | ColumbusOH | 94 | $1,415 | Details |
1,650,070 residents · Arizona
A closer look at Phoenix: the cost index of 104 breaks down to a Utilities index of 95 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 109 (weakest). Median rent is $1,556/month — 18% below the national median — while household income sits at $77,041, meaning locals spend about 24% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
913,175 residents · Ohio
Here's Columbus by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 94. Rent: $1,415/month. Income: $65,327/year. Home price: $243,005. Population: 913,175. The strongest category is Housing at 84; the most expensive is Healthcare at 96. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $5,760 per year vs. the national median. At this level, the city practically pays for your move.
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.
Phoenix (ranked #1) has a cost index of 104 and rent of $1,556/mo, while Columbus (ranked #2) has a cost index of 94 and rent of $1,415/mo — a 10-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 Phoenix is $1,556/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $339 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Phoenix is $407,665, which is 5.3× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. 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.