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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices here — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. San Diego (index 169, rent $2,893/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 2 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices here — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. San Diego (index 169, rent $2,893/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 2 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
Dive into San Diego's numbers: cost index 169 — we had to double-check this one — (58 points above national average), rent $2,893/month, income $104,321, and a home price of $989,768. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 114, while Housing runs 169. As a major city with 1,388,320 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
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 Diego (index 169, rent $2,893); El Paso (index 84, rent $1,441). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
And here's what ties it all together: The national baseline: 111 cost index, $1,895/month rent, $80,367 household income. That's the yardstick. The cities ranked here complicate that picture in ways that matter for anyone actually planning a move.
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 Diego, CA — cost index 169, rent $2,893/mo, income $104,321
1 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 DiegoCA | 169 | $2,893 | Details |
| 2 | El PasoTX | 84 | $1,441 | Details |
1,388,320 residents · California
San Diego earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 169 cost index sits 58 points above the national baseline, and the $104,321 median income means purchasing power here is partially offset by higher costs. Homes list at $989,768 — $522,398 above the national median, reflecting the metro premium. On the cost side, Healthcare leads the way at 114, while Housing trails at 169.
678,958 residents · Texas
Dive into El Paso's numbers: cost index 84 (27 points below national average), rent $1,441/month, income $58,734, and a home price of $231,886. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 84, while Healthcare runs 97. As a major city with 678,958 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 Diego (ranked #1) has a cost index of 169 and rent of $2,893/mo, while El Paso (ranked #2) has a cost index of 84 and rent of $1,441/mo — a 85-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 Diego is $2,893/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $998 above the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in San Diego is $989,768, which is 9.5× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. 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.