Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, these cities represent some of the best deals in America. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 111 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — . Leading the pack: San Antonio at index 79, where median rent of $1,361/month saves renters $6,408/year versus …
Dollar for dollar, these cities represent some of the best deals in America. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 111 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — . Leading the pack: San Antonio at index 79, where median rent of $1,361/month saves renters $6,408/year versus the national median.
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. If you've been scrolling through listings in high-cost metros and feeling defeated, look at these numbers again. Seriously. The difference between renting here and renting in a major coastal city could literally fund a retirement account. That's not hyperbole — run the math yourself. A thousand dollars a month saved, compounded over a decade, is a down payment on a house. In this city, that math actually works.
Perhaps more importantly, 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 an underrated factor in the decision.
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.
#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 | MemphisTN | 72 | $1,234 | Details |
1,495,295 residents · Texas
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.
618,639 residents · Tennessee
Real talk: Here's Memphis by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 72. Rent: $1,234/month — make of that what you will — . Income: $51,211/year. Home price: $142,870. Population: 618,639. The strongest category is Housing at 72; the most expensive is Healthcare at 94. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $7,932 per year vs. the national median. Over thirty years of homeownership, the property tax savings alone are staggering.
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 Memphis (ranked #2) has a cost index of 72 and rent of $1,234/mo — a 7-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.