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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
These cities are a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Tucson leads at an index of 82 with rent at just $1,399/month — 26% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026 (and that…
These cities are a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Tucson leads at an index of 82 with rent at just $1,399/month — 26% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026 (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
Here's Tucson by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 82. Rent: $1,399/month. Income: $54,546/year. Home price: $321,688. Population: 547,239. The strongest category is Housing at 82; the most expensive is Healthcare at 96. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $5,952 per year vs. the national median. This stands out as genuinely impressive.
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. Tucson (index 82, rent $1,399); Omaha (index 82, rent $1,403). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
With that foundation in place: Nationally, the 288 cities in our database average a cost index of 111 — not a number you see very often, by the way — , rent of $1,895/month, and household income of $80,367. The cities in this ranking significantly outperform those benchmarks. That adds up much faster than people realize.
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: Tucson, AZ — cost index 82, rent $1,399/mo, income $54,546
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
547,239 residents · Arizona
Tucson earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 82 cost index sits 29 points below the national baseline, and the $54,546 — though some people might weigh that differently — median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $321,688 — $145,682 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 82, while Healthcare trails at 96 (more on that below).
483,335 residents · Nebraska
Why Omaha ranks #2: the numbers tell a clear story. At 82 on the cost index, residents save roughly 29% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,403/month — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — while the median household pulls in $72,708/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 82, though Healthcare (96) lags behind. Home prices average $288,850 — $178,520 below the national median.
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.
Tucson (ranked #1) has a cost index of 82 and rent of $1,399/mo, while Omaha (ranked #2) has a cost index of 82 and rent of $1,403/mo — a 0-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 Tucson is $1,399/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $496 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Tucson is $321,688, which is 5.9× 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.