

Memphis vs Nashville
$117/mo less in Nashville
MemphisNashvilleAbout 189 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Nashville costs you more
- No state income tax
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,652/mo in Nashville. $2,769/mo in Memphis. −$1,404 a year.
Memphis
$2,769
left each month
Nashville
$2,652
−$117 vs Memphis
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 1,171 households moved Memphis → Nashville (avg AGI $75,930). 688 went the other way. The whole move →
−$117 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Memphis | Nashville | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,083 | $7,550 | +$467 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,401 | $1,540 | +$138 |
| Take-home pay | $5,682 | $6,010 | +$329 |
| Rent | $1,045 | $1,392 | +$347 |
| Getting around | $548 | $559 | +$11 |
| Groceries | $364 | $388 | +$24 |
| Healthcare | $410 | $437 | +$27 |
| Utilities | $228 | $243 | +$15 |
| Everything else | $319 | $340 | +$21 |
| Left over | $2,769 | $2,652 | −$117 |
Salary to match Memphis
$92,500
Gross pay in Nashville that leaves the same amount as $85,000 in Memphis.
Tax difference
$0
A year, in state and local income tax. Tennessee has no wage income tax.
More about Nashville
Memphis, TN in full
No income tax and a logistics economy; wages trail the national median.
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 → Memphis →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Nashville than Memphis?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Nashville leaves about $117 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,045 in Memphis 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 Memphis 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 Memphis 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.