Oklahoma is one of the most affordable places to live in the country. In the second quarter of 2026, the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC) ranked Oklahoma as the lowest cost of living state, with an index of 83.0. The national average is 100.
Here is how Oklahoma compares with its neighbors:
- Oklahoma: 83.0
- Kansas: 87.1
- Missouri: 88.2
- Arkansas: 89.0
- New Mexico: 90.2
- Texas: 90.8
- Colorado: 102.7
Housing makes the biggest difference. Oklahoma’s housing index is 65.1, well below Texas at 77.2 and Colorado at 108.6. California’s housing index is 192.1, almost three times higher than Oklahoma’s.
Norman costs a bit more than the state as a whole but still sits below the national average. RentCafe puts Norman’s overall cost of living about 7% below average, with housing about 14% lower and healthcare about 8% lower.
For retirees moving from California with a budget near $500,000, those numbers change what is possible. In and around Norman, that budget can often reach a single story, four bedroom home on half an acre or more.
Marcie Billen of Rüya Team Realty helps buyers look past the averages. She tracks the Norman market every month and can walk buyers through the costs that do not show up in an index, like running a well and septic system or how the homestead exemption lowers property taxes. One client said the team “made everything so easy and had great advice.”
Rüya Team Realty holds a 5.0 rating across 60 Google reviews and is with Copper Creek Real Estate Brokers in Norman. Call Marcie at 918.691.8982.
