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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Let's be honest: these cities aren't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. San Francisco proves it with a cost index of 224, and we've ranked all 2 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
Let's be honest: these cities aren't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. San Francisco proves it with a cost index of 224, and we've ranked all 2 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
Real talk: So, San Francisco. Cost index of 224, rent at $3,830/month. It's higher than the national average. Median income is $141,446, which is above average. That's more or less in line with the region. No gimmicks — just good numbers.
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 Francisco, CA — cost index 224, rent $3,830/mo, income $141,446
San Francisco rent up 13% over the past year
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 FranciscoCA | 224 | $3,830 | Details |
| 2 | RaleighNC | 92 | $1,567 | Details |
808,988 residents · California
So, San Francisco. Cost index of 224 — though some people might weigh that differently — , rent at $3,830/month. It's higher than the national average. Median income is $141,446, which is above average. It's fine. Not great, not bad.
482,295 residents · North Carolina
What does daily life actually cost in Raleigh? Start with the 23% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Housing (index 92) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 98) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $82,424 and homes at $428,831 round out a profile that ranks #2 for clear reasons.
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 Francisco (ranked #1) has a cost index of 224 and rent of $3,830/mo, while Raleigh (ranked #2) has a cost index of 92 and rent of $1,567/mo — a 132-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 Francisco is $3,830/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $1,935 above the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in San Francisco is $1,299,230, which is 9.2× 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.