

Knoxville vs Nashville
$266/mo more in Nashville
KnoxvilleNashvilleAbout 145 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Nashville leaves you more
- No state income tax
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,676/mo in Nashville. $2,410/mo in Knoxville. +$3,192 a year.
Knoxville
$2,410
left each month
Nashville
$2,676
+$266 vs Knoxville
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 783 households moved Knoxville → Nashville (avg AGI $61,018). 741 went the other way. The whole move →
+$266 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Knoxville | Nashville | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,958 | $7,584 | +$626 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,364 | $1,550 | +$185 |
| Take-home pay | $5,594 | $6,034 | +$440 |
| Rent | $1,296 | $1,392 | +$96 |
| Getting around | $554 | $559 | +$5 |
| Groceries | $368 | $388 | +$20 |
| Healthcare | $414 | $437 | +$23 |
| Utilities | $230 | $243 | +$13 |
| Everything else | $322 | $340 | +$18 |
| Left over | $2,410 | $2,676 | +$266 |
Salary to match Knoxville
$86,500
Gross pay in Nashville that leaves the same amount as $83,500 in Knoxville.
Tax difference
$0
A year, in state and local income tax. Tennessee has no wage income tax.
More about Nashville
Knoxville, TN in full
No income tax and the Smokies out the back door.
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 → Knoxville →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Nashville than Knoxville?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Nashville leaves about $266 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,296 in Knoxville 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 Knoxville 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 Knoxville 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.