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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Premium market, smart picks: while the market trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. San Jose at index 188 — though some people might weigh that differently — is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leavin…
Premium market, smart picks: while the market trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. San Jose at index 188 — though some people might weigh that differently — is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving a desirable market.
Here's San Jose by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. Cost index: 188. Rent: $3,222/month — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — . Income: $141,565/year. Home price: $1,435,993. Population: 969,655. The strongest category is Healthcare at 118; the most expensive is Housing at 188. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are costing renters $15,924 more per year vs. the national median. The data here speaks for itself.
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 Jose (index 188 — this is the part where it gets real — , rent $3,222); Colorado Springs (index 97, rent $1,667). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons (which, to be fair, is a metric that favors smaller cities).
If there's one takeaway from this page, it's this: San Jose rent up 3% over the past year. Rent in #1-ranked San Jose has increased from $3,119 to $3,222/mo over the past 12 months — a 3% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time. If you're debt-free, those savings go straight to building wealth.
And there's one more thing: 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 challenge those benchmarks. That's a spread that makes moving costs look trivial.
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 Jose, CA — cost index 188, rent $3,222/mo, income $141,565
San Jose rent up 3% 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 JoseCA | 188 | $3,222 | Details |
| 2 | Colorado SpringsCO | 97 | $1,667 | Details |
969,655 residents · California
Why San Jose ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 188 on the cost index, residents spend roughly 77% more than the typical American. Rent sits at $3,222/month while the median household pulls in $141,565/year. The Healthcare category is particularly strong at 118, though Housing (188) lags behind. Home prices average $1,435,993 — $968,623 above the national median.
488,664 residents · Colorado
So, Colorado Springs. Cost index of 97, rent at $1,667/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $83,198, which is above average. That's more or less in line with the region.
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 Jose (ranked #1) has a cost index of 188 and rent of $3,222/mo, while Colorado Springs (ranked #2) has a cost index of 97 and rent of $1,667/mo — a 91-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 Jose is $3,222/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $1,327 above the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in San Jose is $1,435,993, which is 10.1× 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.