Loading
Assembling your view…
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. San Antonio leads at an index of 79 with rent at just $1,361/month — 28% 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. San Antonio leads at an index of 79 with rent at just $1,361/month — 28% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
A closer look at San Antonio: the cost index of 79 breaks down to a Housing index of 79 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 96 (weakest). Median rent is $1,361/month — 28% below the national median — while household income sits at $62,917, meaning locals spend about 26% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room. There's an argument to be made — and I think the data supports it — that the cities getting all the attention right now are exactly the wrong places to move. The spotlight drives migration, migration drives demand, demand drives costs, and eventually the value proposition disappears. Meanwhile, cities like this one keep quietly being affordable, and the people who find them early are the ones who benefit most.
Look, 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); Denver (index 106, rent $1,818). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
None of this exists in a vacuum, though. The national baseline: 111 cost index, $1,895/month rent, $80,367 household income. That's the yardstick. The cities ranked here blow past it — starting with San Antonio at just 79 on the index.
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. That's more or less in line with the region. 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: San Antonio, TX — cost index 79, rent $1,361/mo, income $62,917
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 | San AntonioTX | 79 | $1,361 | Details |
| 2 | DenverCO | 106 | $1,818 | Details |
1,495,295 residents · Texas
What does daily life actually cost in San Antonio? Start with the 26% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Housing (index 79) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 96) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $62,917 and homes at $247,132 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
716,577 residents · Colorado
Dive into Denver's numbers: cost index 106 (5 points below national average), rent $1,818/month, income $91,681, and a home price of $530,920. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 101, while Housing runs 106. As a major city with 716,577 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 Denver (ranked #2) has a cost index of 106 and rent of $1,818/mo — a 27-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.