Cost of Living in Nashville, TN (2026)

Nashville's cost of living is 4% below the US average. $100,000 here is worth about $103,801 nationally. Rent, homes and monthly costs.

Nashville has a cost-of-living index of 96 against a US average of 100 — about 4% below average. $100,000 of income here is worth roughly $103,801 at the national average.

What it costs to live in Nashville

MeasureNashvilleUS average
Cost-of-living index96100
Median rent$1,486/mo-
Median home value$383,100-
Median household income$75,197-
Population684,298-

Monthly cost breakdown in Nashville

Estimates use BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey shares scaled by the local cost-of-living index. Housing uses the city’s median rent; the owning column uses a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down on the median home.

CategoryRentingOwning
Housing$1,486$2,225
Transport$990$990
Food$779$779
Healthcare$489$489
Other$1,739$1,739
Total$5,482$6,221

Affordability in Nashville

Median rent takes about 23.7% of the median household income in Nashville — comfortably inside the 30% rule of thumb.

The median home costs 5.1x the median household income. Three times income is the traditional comfort line; five times is where affordability usually breaks down.

Highest-paying roles in Nashville

RoleTypical salaryWorth nationally
Marketing Manager$130,460$135,419
Software Developer$119,380$123,918
Physical Therapist$99,860$103,656
Data Scientist$97,290$100,988
Mechanical Engineer$96,680$100,355
Dental Hygienist$89,211$92,602
Financial Analyst$84,980$88,210
Web Developer$79,400$82,418

“Worth nationally” adjusts each salary for Nashville’s cost of living, so you can compare offers between cities on equal terms.

Compare Nashville with another city

What would your salary be worth in Nashville?

What you earn (or want to compare)

Frequently asked questions

Nashville has a cost-of-living index of 96 against a US average of 100, so it is about 4% below the national average. In practical terms, $100,000 of income in Nashville has roughly the purchasing power of $103,801 at the national average.

A common benchmark is keeping rent at or under 30% of gross income. At Nashville's median rent of $1,486/month that implies about $59,440 a year before tax. The median household in Nashville earns $75,197.

Renting, a single household spends roughly $5,482 a month in Nashville across housing, transport, food, healthcare and everything else. Buying at the median home price, the estimate is about $6,221 a month including a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down.

The median home in Nashville costs $383,100, which is 5.1x the median household income of $75,197. Lenders traditionally treat 3x as comfortable and about 5x as stretched, so Nashville is expensive relative to local incomes.