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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
These cities are a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Nashville leads at an index of 103 with rent at just $1,772/month — 6% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
These cities are a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Nashville leads at an index of 103 with rent at just $1,772/month — 6% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
Here's Nashville by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 103. Rent: $1,772/month. Income: $75,197/year. Home price: $429,861. Population: 687,788. The strongest category is Healthcare at 101; the most expensive is Housing at 103. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $1,476 per year vs. the national median. For dual-income households, this multiplies into serious savings.
The ranking uses a composite of 2026 data from Census Bureau population/income surveys, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary benchmarks, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Nashville (index 103, rent $1,772); Memphis (index 72, rent $1,234). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
Bottom line: Nashville, TN leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
#1 Ranked: Nashville, TN — cost index 103, rent $1,772/mo, income $75,197
2 of 2 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NashvilleTN | 103 | $1,772 | Details |
| 2 | MemphisTN | 72 | $1,234 | Details |
687,788 residents · Tennessee
Why Nashville ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 103 on the cost index, residents save roughly 8% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,772/month — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — while the median household pulls in $75,197/year. The Healthcare category is particularly strong at 101, though Housing (103) lags behind. Home prices average $429,861 — $37,509 below the national median.
618,639 residents · Tennessee
Dive into Memphis's numbers: cost index 72 (39 points below national average), rent $1,234/month, income $51,211, and a home price of $142,870. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 72, while Healthcare runs 94. As a major city with 618,639 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Nashville (ranked #1) has a cost index of 103 and rent of $1,772/mo, while Memphis (ranked #2) has a cost index of 72 and rent of $1,234/mo — a 31-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Nashville is $1,772/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $123 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Nashville is $429,861, which is 5.7× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.