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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. Washington proves it with a cost index of 140, and we've ranked all 2 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape (that's pre-tax, of…
Let's be honest: these cities aren't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Washington proves it with a cost index of 140, and we've ranked all 2 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape (that's pre-tax, of course).
Here's Washington by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. Cost index: 140. Rent: $2,406/month. Income: $106,287/year. Home price: $574,016. Population: 678,972. The strongest category is Healthcare at 108; the most expensive is Housing at 140. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are costing renters $6,132 more per year vs. the national median. The data here speaks for itself.
For all that, there's a counter-signal worth noting: 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 adds up much faster than people realize.
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: Washington, DC — cost index 140, rent $2,406/mo, income $106,287
0 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 | WashingtonDC | 140 | $2,406 | Details |
| 2 | MiamiFL | 173 | $2,964 | Details |
678,972 residents · District of Columbia
Real talk: a closer look at Washington: the cost index of 140 breaks down to a Healthcare index of 108 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 140 (weakest). Median rent is $2,406/month — 27% above the national median — while household income sits at $106,287, meaning locals spend about 27% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
455,924 residents · Florida
Here's Miami by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. And for many people, cost index: 173. Rent: $2,964/month. Income: $59,390/year. Home price: $573,963. Population: 455,924. The strongest category is Healthcare at 115; the most expensive is Housing at 173. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are costing renters $12,828 more per year vs. the national median. That could be a concern depending on your priorities.
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.
Washington (ranked #1) has a cost index of 140 and rent of $2,406/mo, while Miami (ranked #2) has a cost index of 173 and rent of $2,964/mo — a 33-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 Washington is $2,406/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $511 above the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Washington is $574,016, which is 5.4× 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.