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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices in New Hampshire — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. Manchester (index 111, rent $1,976/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 1 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026 (a figure that keeps climbing, by…
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester | 111 | $1,976 | Details |
#1 Ranked: Manchester — cost index 111, rent $1,976/mo, income $77,415
1 of 1 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices in New Hampshire — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. Manchester (index 111, rent $1,976/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 1 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026 (a figure that keeps climbing, by the way).
The #1 spot goes to Manchester, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,976/month — costing renters $972 more per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 102, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 128. The 31% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended.
There's more to the story, though. Here's the state-level backdrop: New Hampshire averages a 111 cost index, $1,976/mo rent, and $77,415 income across 1 cities. That's $81 more than the national rent average. No income tax in a traditionally expensive region — and that context shapes every city in this ranking.
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. There's not much to say about that beyond the obvious. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours.
115,474 residents · New Hampshire
In plain English: Dive into Manchester's numbers: cost index 111 (1 points below national average), rent $1,976/month, income $77,415, and a home price of $427,321. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 102, while Housing runs 128. With 115,474 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
Cities are ranked by overall cost of living index in descending order. High-cost cities are typically driven by housing prices — a city with an index of 150 has overall costs roughly 50% above the national median, with housing often 2-3× that premium. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Manchester ranks #1 in New Hampshire for this analysis with a cost index of 111 and median income of $77,415.
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.
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 Manchester is $1,976/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $81 above the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Manchester is $427,321, which is 5.5× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
New Hampshire has a 0% state income tax rate — one of the states with no income tax. Combined state and local sales tax averages 0%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.57%.
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.