Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Girardeau, MO and Johnson City, TN

For one person, living costs are similar in Cape Girardeau, MO and in Johnson City, TN: $2,120 and $2,138 a month, rent and utilities included.

102

Cost of Living Index in Cape Girardeau, MO
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Cape Girardeau, MO Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Johnson City, TN
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Johnson City, TN Living Index

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Cape Girardeau, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,120

/mo nomad

Johnson City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Girardeau, MO and in Johnson City, TN

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cape Girardeau, MO and in Johnson City, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,120 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $2,138 in Johnson City, TN.

Cape Girardeau, MO $2,120
Johnson City, TN $2,138

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,261 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $3,133 in Johnson City, TN.

Cape Girardeau, MO $3,261
Johnson City, TN $3,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,401 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $4,129 in Johnson City, TN.

Cape Girardeau, MO $4,401
Johnson City, TN $4,129

Monthly costs are close between Cape Girardeau, MO and Johnson City, TN; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cape Girardeau, MO 56% above, Johnson City, TN 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.74 $17.74

$13.78 $13.78

28.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.5 $56.5

$53.9 $53.9

4.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.79 $6.79

$9.88 $9.88

-31.28%

Cappuccino

$6.11 $6.11

$5.14 $5.14

18.87%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.88 $2.88

-9.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.03 $2.03

-11.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 $3.01

$4.93 $4.93

-38.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 $7.40

$6.04 $6.04

22.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.75 $3.75

-40.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.34 $7.34

$3.97 $3.97

84.89%

Eggs

$2.92 $2.92

$3.11 $3.11

-6.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.15 $15.15

$7.53 $7.53

101.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.68 $18.68

$13.67 $13.67

36.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.75 $24.75

$13.09 $13.09

89.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$7.59 $7.59

-57.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.73 $1.73

12.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$11.47 $11.47

$4.10 $4.10

179.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.96 $8.96

$3.65 $3.65

145.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.40 $3.40

-36.47%

Onion (1kg)

$6.20 $6.20

$4.34 $4.34

42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.20 $2.20

32.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.36 $2.36

8.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.68 $7.68

$9.01 $9.01

-14.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.22 $12.22

$13.14 $13.14

-7.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.61 $1.61

9.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$4.42 $4.42

79.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 $0.97

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.13 $25.13

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 $5.58

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 $1.44

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.19 $15.19

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.83 $0.83

3.61%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.9K $27.9K

$30.0K $30.0K

-6.86%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.0K $25.0K

$24.7K $24.7K

1.06%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$196 $196

$172 $172

14.12%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$42.68 $42.68

$51.9 $51.9

-17.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.4 $82.4

$62.5 $62.5

31.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.14 $20.14

$47.20 $47.20

-57.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 $20.14

Cinema Ticket

$14.82 $14.82

$11.88 $11.88

24.75%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$826 $826

$1,185 $1,185

-30.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K $14.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.41 $44.41

$37.41 $37.41

18.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.67 $40.67

$30.80 $30.80

32.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 $86.2

$87.4 $87.4

-1.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.27 $39.27

$94.4 $94.4

-58.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 $798

$1,178 $1,178

-32.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$856 $856

$980 $980

-12.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,992 $1,992

-20.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,666 $1,666

$1,616 $1,616

3.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,505 $1,505

$2,444 $2,444

-38.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,520 $1,520

$2,033 $2,033

-25.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,411 $2,411

$3,584 $3,584

-32.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.49

-0.62%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cape Girardeau, MO: October 26, 2026

Last update for Johnson City, TN: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cape Girardeau, MO

$856 40.4%

Johnson City, TN

$980 45.9% 14.6% $125

Groceries & Markets

Cape Girardeau, MO

$515 24.3%

Johnson City, TN

$388 18.1% 24.7% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Girardeau, MO

$322 15.2%

Johnson City, TN

$287 13.4% 10.9% $35

Eating Out

Cape Girardeau, MO

$283 13.4%

Johnson City, TN

$258 12.1% 8.9% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Girardeau, MO

$95 4.5%

Johnson City, TN

$113 5.3% 18.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Girardeau, MO

$50 2.4%

Johnson City, TN

$71 3.3% 42.5% $21

Getting Around

Cape Girardeau, MO

- * 0%

Johnson City, TN

$42 2%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $798 in Cape Girardeau, MO and $1,178 in Johnson City, TN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Johnson City, TN pays 49% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $56 in Cape Girardeau, MO vs $54 in Johnson City, TN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $515 vs $388 per month, with Johnson City, TN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cape Girardeau, MO

🇺🇸 Johnson City, TN

🕒 Local time

15:01 3:01 PM

16:01 4:01 PM

1 h ahead of Cape Girardeau, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,941

66,027

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Cape Girardeau, MO Johnson City, TN 650 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cape Girardeau, MO
Johnson City, TN

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cape Girardeau, MO vs Johnson City, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Cape Girardeau, MO. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $798 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $1,178 in Johnson City, TN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Johnson City, TN – a meal for two runs $54 versus $56 in Cape Girardeau, MO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $826 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $1,185 in Johnson City, TN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Cape Girardeau, MO gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Cape Girardeau, MO is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Johnson City, TN, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Cape Girardeau, MO wins on affordability, Johnson City, TN on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.