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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. San Antonio stands out at 79 on the index, with rent of $1,361/month and household income of $62,917. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
The numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. San Antonio stands out at 79 on the index, with rent of $1,361/month and household income of $62,917. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
San Antonio is one of the cheaper options here. Pretty standard for this type of city. Rent is $1,361/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 79. Income sits at $62,917. Moving on (that's pre-tax, of course).
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); Detroit (index 77, rent $1,318). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
Worth noting: 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. That's a red flag worth investigating further.
Bottom line: San Antonio, TX 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. I'll say what the data can't: this city punches above its weight in ways that don't show up in a spreadsheet. There's a reason people who move here tend to stay. You can call it quality of life, you can call it vibes, whatever — the point is, the cost structure gives people room to actually enjoy where they live, and that's increasingly rare in this country.
#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 | DetroitMI | 77 | $1,318 | Details |
1,495,295 residents · Texas
San Antonio earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 79 cost index sits 32 points below the national baseline, and the $62,917 — for better or worse — median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $247,132 — $220,238 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 79, while Healthcare trails at 96.
633,218 residents · Michigan
Detroit is one of the cheaper options here. And on balance, rent is $1,318/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 77. Income sits at $39,575. That's about what we'd expect given the state context.
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 Detroit (ranked #2) has a cost index of 77 and rent of $1,318/mo — a 2-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.