Cost of living in Tulsa research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Tulsa is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Oklahoma, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Tulsa is 91, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Tulsa is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Tulsa ranks as the #51 cheapest in Oklahoma out of 75.
Tulsa ranks as the #1,347 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Tulsa is $212,641.
The median income in Tulsa is $58,407.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Tulsa has an overall cost of living index of 91, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Oklahoma, Tulsa has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Oklahoma's index of 87.
The standard of living in Tulsa ranks as #51 most affordable out of the 75 places we measured in Oklahoma. By definition, that implies Tulsa ranks as the #24 most expensive place in the Sooner State.
For more reading on life in Tulsa, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Tulsa. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Tulsa is 96.
The Groceries index in Tulsa is 96.
The Health index in Tulsa is 88.
The Housing index in Tulsa is 80.
The Transportation index in Tulsa is 91.
The Utilities index in Tulsa is 96.
| Living Expense | Tulsa | Oklahoma | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 91 | 87 | 100 | |
| Services | 96 | 90 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 96 | 96 | 100 | |
| Health | 88 | 94 | 100 | |
| Housing | 80 | 70 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 91 | 93 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 96 | 98 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Oklahoma, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Tulsa is $212,641.
The Median Rent in Tulsa is $998.
The Median Income in Tulsa is $58,407.
The Home Value To Income in Tulsa is 3.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Tulsa is 0.21x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Tulsa. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Broken Arrow, OK has a cost of living index of 94, 1.0x Tulsa.
Owasso, OK has a cost of living index of 97, 1.1x Tulsa.
Bixby, OK has a cost of living index of 102, 1.1x Tulsa.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broken Arrow, OK | 115,919 | 94 | 1.0x |
| Owasso, OK | 39,013 | 97 | 1.1x |
| Bixby, OK | 29,402 | 102 | 1.1x |
| Jenks, OK | 26,519 | 103 | 1.1x |
| Sapulpa, OK | 22,268 | 89 | 1.0x |
| Sand Springs, OK | 19,973 | 91 | 1.0x |
| Glenpool, OK | 13,885 | 92 | 1.0x |
| Coweta, OK | 10,157 | 88 | 1.0x |
| Collinsville, OK | 8,468 | 94 | 1.0x |
| Catoosa, OK | 7,631 | 88 | 1.0x |