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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.
Dive into San Antonio's numbers: cost index 79 — we had to double-check this one — (32 points below national average), rent $1,361/month, income $62,917, and a home price of $247,132. And as far as the data shows, you get the picture. 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.
The counter-argument is worth hearing: 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.
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 (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
#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 | OmahaNE | 82 | $1,403 | 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 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — and homes at $247,132 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
483,335 residents · Nebraska
Dive into Omaha's numbers: cost index 82 — we had to double-check this one — (29 points below national average), rent $1,403/month, income $72,708, and a home price of $288,850. And in most cases, the city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 82, while Healthcare runs 96. With 483,335 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
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 Omaha (ranked #2) has a cost index of 82 and rent of $1,403/mo — a 3-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.