The Southeast has some of the lowest living costs in the country, but not every metro is a bargain. We ranked every major Southeast metro by combining HUD fair market rent with BLS food cost indexes to find where your money goes the furthest. Here are the top 10 for 2026.
2-BR Rent
$1,147/mo
Grocery Index
89
Dining Index
90
Median Home
$200,000
2-BR Rent
$1,225/mo
Grocery Index
90
Dining Index
91
Median Home
$295,000
2-BR Rent
$1,261/mo
Grocery Index
90
Dining Index
90
Median Home
$215,000
2-BR Rent
$1,288/mo
Grocery Index
88
Dining Index
88
Median Home
$160,000
2-BR Rent
$1,274/mo
Grocery Index
89
Dining Index
90
Median Home
$195,000
2-BR Rent
$1,266/mo
Grocery Index
91
Dining Index
91
Median Home
$230,000
2-BR Rent
$1,276/mo
Grocery Index
90
Dining Index
91
Median Home
$235,000
2-BR Rent
$1,272/mo
Grocery Index
90
Dining Index
92
Median Home
$280,000
2-BR Rent
$1,272/mo
Grocery Index
91
Dining Index
93
Median Home
$240,000
2-BR Rent
$1,347/mo
Grocery Index
90
Dining Index
92
Median Home
$295,000
Keep in mind that these numbers reflect metro-wide averages. Neighborhoods within each metro can vary a lot. Use VenScope to compare any two cities side by side and see the full breakdown of taxes, housing, weather, schools, and more.
Compare cities side by sideData from HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2026), BLS Consumer Price Index, and Zillow ZHVI.