

Ames vs Nashville
$255/mo more in Nashville
AmesNashvilleAbout 555 miles apart, a flight.
- Nashville leaves you more
- No state income tax
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,656/mo in Nashville. $2,401/mo in Ames. +$3,060 a year.
Ames
$2,401
left each month
Nashville
$2,656
+$255 vs Ames
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
+$255 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Ames | Nashville | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,208 | $7,556 | +$1,348 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,332 | $1,541 | +$210 |
| Take-home pay | $4,877 | $6,014 | +$1,138 |
| Rent | $760 | $1,392 | +$632 |
| Getting around | $457 | $559 | +$102 |
| Groceries | $347 | $388 | +$41 |
| Healthcare | $391 | $437 | +$46 |
| Utilities | $217 | $243 | +$26 |
| Everything else | $304 | $340 | +$36 |
| Left over | $2,401 | $2,656 | +$255 |
Salary to match Ames
$86,500
Gross pay in Nashville that leaves the same amount as $74,500 in Ames.
Tax difference
+$2,276
A year, in state and local income tax. Tennessee has no wage income tax.
More about Nashville
Ames, IA in full
A flat 3.8% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $905 and 207 sunny days; commutes average 19 minutes.
Nashville, TN in full
No income tax and a real music and healthcare economy; traffic is the tax.
The other way
Start in Nashville.
Nashville → Ames →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Nashville than Ames?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Nashville leaves about $255 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $760 in Ames and $1,392 in Nashville.
Does Nashville have state income tax?
Nashville is in Tennessee, which has no state income tax.
What changes if you move from Ames to Nashville?
The paycheck is taxed in Tennessee. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Ames and Nashville changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.