Loading
Assembling your view…
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.
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); Indianapolis (index 79, rent $1,356). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
So, San Antonio. Cost index of 79, rent at $1,361/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $62,917, which is below the national median. Fairly typical for a city this size.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
#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 | IndianapolisIN | 79 | $1,356 | Details |
1,495,295 residents · Texas
Here's San Antonio by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 79. Rent: $1,361/month. Income: $62,917/year. Home price: $247,132. Population: 1,495,295. The strongest category is Housing at 79; the most expensive is Healthcare at 96. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $6,408 per year vs. the national median. This is where the math gets real for actual people.
879,293 residents · Indiana
Indianapolis earns its position at #2 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 79 cost index sits 32 points below the national baseline, and the $62,995 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $226,528 — $240,842 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 79, while Healthcare trails at 96.
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 Indianapolis (ranked #2) has a cost index of 79 and rent of $1,356/mo — a 0-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.