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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Real talk: the income-cost paradox: Portland pays $88,792 — 10% above the national median — while costing just 111 on the index. Only 36 of 288 tracked cities share this unusual profile. Here's the full 2-city ranking for 2026.
Real talk: the income-cost paradox: Portland pays $88,792 — 10% above the national median — while costing just 111 on the index. Only 36 of 288 tracked cities share this unusual profile. Here's the full 2-city ranking for 2026.
A closer look at Portland: the cost index of 111 breaks down to a Utilities index of 102 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 128 (weakest). And with some exceptions, median rent is $1,710/month — 10% below the national median — while household income sits at $88,792, meaning locals spend about 23% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
Bottom line: Portland, OR leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
#1 Ranked: Portland, OR — cost index 111, rent $1,710/mo, income $88,792
Portland: high income, low cost — a rare combo
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 | PortlandOR | 111 | $1,710 | Details |
| 2 | KansasMO | 94 | $1,418 | Details |
630,498 residents · Oregon
What does daily life actually cost in Portland? Start with the 23% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. That's about what we'd expect given the state context. On the category level, Utilities (index 102) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 128) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $88,792 and homes at $524,251 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
510,704 residents · Missouri
Kansas is one of the cheaper options here. Rent is $1,418/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 94. Income sits at $67,449. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is.
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.
Portland (ranked #1) has a cost index of 111 and rent of $1,710/mo, while Kansas (ranked #2) has a cost index of 94 and rent of $1,418/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 Portland is $1,710/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $185 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Portland is $524,251, which is 5.9× 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.