Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Knoxville, TN and Tulsa, OK

For one person, living is cheaper in Tulsa, OK: $2,260 a month against $2,576 in Knoxville, TN, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Knoxville, TN outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

124

Cost of Living Index in Knoxville, TN
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Knoxville, TN Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Tulsa, OK
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Tulsa, OK Living Index

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Knoxville, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,576

/mo nomad

Tulsa, OK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,260

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Knoxville, TN and in Tulsa, OK

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,576 in Knoxville, TN versus $2,260 in Tulsa, OK.

Knoxville, TN $2,576
Tulsa, OK $2,260

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,786 in Knoxville, TN versus $3,368 in Tulsa, OK.

Knoxville, TN $3,786
Tulsa, OK $3,368

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,997 in Knoxville, TN versus $4,477 in Tulsa, OK.

Knoxville, TN $4,997
Tulsa, OK $4,477

Living in Knoxville, TN is roughly 14% more expensive than in Tulsa, OK, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Knoxville, TN 90% above, Tulsa, OK 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.71 $17.71

$16.13 $16.13

9.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 $74.6

$73.4 $73.4

1.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.86 $9.86

$9.89 $9.89

-0.30%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$4.87 $4.87

10.47%

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

$2.83 $2.83

$2.31 $2.31

22.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.70 $1.70

61.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 $6.36

$5.08 $5.08

25.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 $6.60

$6.99 $6.99

-5.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.10 $1.10

-3.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 $3.47

$3.56 $3.56

-2.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$5.77 $5.77

-20.97%

Eggs

$4.46 $4.46

$4.07 $4.07

9.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$15.39 $15.39

-34.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 $9.22

$12.01 $12.01

-23.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.91 $14.91

$14.75 $14.75

1.08%

Apples (1kg)

$7.04 $7.04

$4.44 $4.44

58.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.68 $1.68

-7.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.79 $3.79

-24.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$3.57 $3.57

56.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.56 $2.56

-15.62%

Onion (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.95 $2.95

47.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.04 $2.04

9.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.21 $2.21

-0.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.99 $8.99

$9.94 $9.94

-9.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 $15.23

$13.24 $13.24

15.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.99 $1.99

-4.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$4.66 $4.66

-32.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.73 $1.73

-41.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.58 $29.58

$45.02 $45.02

-34.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.10 $5.10

$1.99 $1.99

156.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.27 $1.27

18.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.87 $29.87

$29.56 $29.56

1.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.94 $0.94

7.45%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$26.8K $26.8K

4.00%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$25.7K $25.7K

5.96%

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

$223 $223

$247 $247

-9.55%

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

$74.4 $74.4

$68.5 $68.5

8.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 $53.1

$64.3 $64.3

-17.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.37 $29.37

$48.34 $48.34

-39.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.90 $21.90

$19.87 $19.87

10.22%

Cinema Ticket

$15.20 $15.20

$13.32 $13.32

14.11%

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

$1,246 $1,246

$1,163 $1,163

7.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K $24.5K

$25.5K $25.5K

-4.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 $50.9

$75.0 $75.0

-32.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.53 $45.53

$62.0 $62.0

-26.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$120 $120

-6.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$151 $151

-18.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,811 $1,811

$1,241 $1,241

45.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 $1,284

$893 $893

43.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,901 $2,901

$1,993 $1,993

45.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,144 $2,144

$1,509 $1,509

42.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,681 $4,681

$1,849 $1,849

153.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,243 $2,243

$1,677 $1,677

33.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,622 $3,622

$3,516 $3,516

3.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.59

0.76%

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

Last update for Knoxville, TN: October 18, 2026

Last update for Tulsa, OK: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Knoxville, TN

$1.3K 49.8%

Tulsa, OK

$893 39.5% 30.4% $391

Groceries & Markets

Knoxville, TN

$383 14.9%

Tulsa, OK

$396 17.5% 3.3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Knoxville, TN

$351 13.6%

Tulsa, OK

$380 16.8% 8.2% $29

Eating Out

Knoxville, TN

$303 11.8%

Tulsa, OK

$273 12.1% 10% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Knoxville, TN

$149 5.8%

Tulsa, OK

$183 8.1% 23.1% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Knoxville, TN

$60 2.3%

Tulsa, OK

$75 3.3% 25.4% $15

Getting Around

Knoxville, TN

$46 1.8%

Tulsa, OK

$60 2.7% 30.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,811 in Knoxville, TN and $1,241 in Tulsa, OK. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Knoxville, TN pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $75.0 in Knoxville, TN vs $73.0 in Tulsa, OK. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $396, with Knoxville, TN cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Knoxville, TN

🇺🇸 Tulsa, OK

🕒 Local time

04:47 4:47 AM

03:47 3:47 AM

1 h behind Knoxville, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

190,740

413,066

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Knoxville, TN Tulsa, OK 1,080 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Knoxville, TN
Tulsa, OK

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

Knoxville, TN vs Tulsa, OK: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tulsa, OK wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Knoxville, TN. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tulsa, OK the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Knoxville, 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: $1,811 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,241 in Tulsa, OK. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Knoxville, TN pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Tulsa, OK – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $75.0 in Knoxville, TN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,260 in Tulsa, OK versus $2,576 in Knoxville, TN, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tulsa, OK but tight or insufficient in Knoxville, TN. The gap between the two cities makes Tulsa, OK the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tulsa, OK delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,260 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tulsa, OK hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Tulsa, OK gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Knoxville, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.