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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Let's be honest: these cities aren't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. San Antonio proves it with a cost index of 79, and we've ranked all 2 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
Let's be honest: these cities aren't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. San Antonio proves it with a cost index of 79, and we've ranked all 2 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
The #1 spot goes to San Antonio, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,361/month — saving renters $6,408 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 79, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 96. A 26% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
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. San Antonio (index 79, rent $1,361); Boston (index 205, rent $3,510). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
And there's one more thing: 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. This stands out as genuinely impressive.
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. A real contender.
#1 Ranked: San Antonio, TX — cost index 79, rent $1,361/mo, income $62,917
1 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 | San AntonioTX | 79 | $1,361 | Details |
| 2 | BostonMA | 205 | $3,510 | Details |
1,495,295 residents · Texas
Dive into San Antonio's numbers: cost index 79 (32 points below national average), rent $1,361/month, income $62,917, and a home price of $247,132. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 79, while Healthcare runs 96. As a major city with 1,495,295 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
653,833 residents · Massachusetts
Dive into Boston's numbers: cost index 205 (94 points above national average), rent $3,510/month, income $94,755, and a home price of $768,702. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 121, while Housing runs 205. As a major city with 653,833 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
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.
San Antonio (ranked #1) has a cost index of 79 and rent of $1,361/mo, while Boston (ranked #2) has a cost index of 205 and rent of $3,510/mo — a 126-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 San Antonio is $1,361/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $534 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in San Antonio is $247,132, which is 3.9× 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.