Last update: Oct 2026

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

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

102

Cost of Living Index in Johnson City, TN
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Johnson City, TN Living Index
102

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

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Johnson City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,138

/mo nomad

Cape Girardeau, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,120

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.78 $13.78

$17.74 $17.74

-22.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 $53.9

$56.5 $56.5

-4.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 $9.88

$6.79 $6.79

45.51%

Cappuccino

$5.14 $5.14

$6.11 $6.11

-15.88%

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

$2.88 $2.88

$2.62 $2.62

9.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.80 $1.80

12.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$3.01 $3.01

63.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 $6.04

$7.40 $7.40

-18.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.22 $2.22

68.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$7.34 $7.34

-45.91%

Eggs

$3.11 $3.11

$2.92 $2.92

6.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.53 $7.53

$15.15 $15.15

-50.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.67 $13.67

$18.68 $18.68

-26.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.09 $13.09

$24.75 $24.75

-47.11%

Apples (1kg)

$7.59 $7.59

$3.26 $3.26

132.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.95 $1.95

-11.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$11.47 $11.47

-64.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$8.96 $8.96

-59.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.16 $2.16

57.41%

Onion (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$6.20 $6.20

-30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.91 $2.91

-24.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.57 $2.57

-8.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.01 $9.01

$7.68 $7.68

17.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.14 $13.14

$12.22 $12.22

7.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.76 $1.76

-8.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 $4.42

$7.93 $7.93

-44.26%

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)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.86 $0.86

-3.49%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$27.9K $27.9K

7.36%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$25.0K $25.0K

-1.05%

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

$172 $172

$196 $196

-12.37%

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

$51.9 $51.9

$42.68 $42.68

21.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.5 $62.5

$82.4 $82.4

-24.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.20 $47.20

$20.14 $20.14

134.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 $20.14

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 $11.88

$14.82 $14.82

-19.84%

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

$1,185 $1,185

$826 $826

43.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K $14.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.41 $37.41

$44.41 $44.41

-15.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.80 $30.80

$40.67 $40.67

-24.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 $87.4

$86.2 $86.2

1.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.4 $94.4

$39.27 $39.27

140.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,178 $1,178

$798 $798

47.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$980 $980

$856 $856

14.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 $1,992

$1,578 $1,578

26.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 $1,616

$1,666 $1,666

-2.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,444 $2,444

$1,505 $1,505

62.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 $2,033

$1,520 $1,520

33.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,584 $3,584

$2,411 $2,411

48.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

6.45

0.62%

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

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

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Johnson City, TN

$980 45.9%

Cape Girardeau, MO

$856 40.4% 12.7% $125

Groceries & Markets

Johnson City, TN

$388 18.1%

Cape Girardeau, MO

$515 24.3% 32.8% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johnson City, TN

$287 13.4%

Cape Girardeau, MO

$322 15.2% 12.2% $35

Eating Out

Johnson City, TN

$258 12.1%

Cape Girardeau, MO

$283 13.4% 9.8% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Johnson City, TN

$113 5.3%

Cape Girardeau, MO

$95 4.5% 15.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Johnson City, TN

$71 3.3%

Cape Girardeau, MO

$50 2.4% 29.8% $21

Getting Around

Johnson City, TN

$42 2%

Cape Girardeau, MO

- * 0% 100%

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 $1,178 in Johnson City, TN and $798 in Cape Girardeau, MO. 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: $54 in Johnson City, TN vs $56 in Cape Girardeau, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 vs $515 per month, with Johnson City, TN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Johnson City, TN

🇺🇸 Cape Girardeau, MO

🕒 Local time

17:37 5:37 PM

16:37 4:37 PM

1 h behind Johnson City, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,027

37,941

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Johnson City, TN
Cape Girardeau, MO

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

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

Average pay runs 49% higher in Johnson City, TN, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,178 in Johnson City, TN versus $798 in Cape Girardeau, MO. 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 $1,185 in Johnson City, TN versus $826 in Cape Girardeau, MO. 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.