Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Knoxville, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Knoxville, TN: $2,576 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $28,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
124

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

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Knoxville, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,576

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Knoxville, TN

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,938 in New York, NY versus $2,576 in Knoxville, TN.

New York, NY $4,938
Knoxville, TN $2,576

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $3,786 in Knoxville, TN.

New York, NY $7,273
Knoxville, TN $3,786

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,608 in New York, NY versus $4,997 in Knoxville, TN.

New York, NY $9,608
Knoxville, TN $4,997

Living in New York, NY is roughly 92% more expensive than in Knoxville, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 264% above, Knoxville, TN 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$17.71 $17.71

41.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$74.6 $74.6

61.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$9.86 $9.86

39.35%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$5.38 $5.38

22.68%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.83 $2.83

34.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.75 $2.75

4.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$6.36 $6.36

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$6.60 $6.60

52.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.06 $1.06

29.25%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.47 $3.47

36.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$4.56 $4.56

68.64%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$4.46 $4.46

31.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$10.08 $10.08

90.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$9.22 $9.22

93.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$14.91 $14.91

27.63%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$7.04 $7.04

-4.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.55 $1.55

47.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$2.87 $2.87

123.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$5.58 $5.58

20.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.16 $2.16

81.94%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.36 $4.36

3.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.23 $2.23

25.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.19 $2.19

14.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$8.99 $8.99

101.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$15.23 $15.23

32.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.91 $1.91

70.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.14 $3.14

19.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.02 $1.02

186.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

$29.58 $29.58

382.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$5.10 $5.10

-40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.51 $1.51

43.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$29.87 $29.87

38.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.01 $1.01

10.89%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$27.9K $27.9K

18.88%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$27.3K $27.3K

-5.74%

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

$219 $219

$223 $223

-1.79%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$74.4 $74.4

1.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$53.1 $53.1

32.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$29.37 $29.37

293.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

$21.90 $21.90

208.77%

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$15.20 $15.20

40.59%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,246 $1,246

175.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$24.5K $24.5K

151.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$50.9 $50.9

47.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$45.53 $45.53

14.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$112 $112

4.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$123 $123

9.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,811 $1,811

140.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$1,284 $1,284

142.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$2,901 $2,901

214.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$2,144 $2,144

150.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$4,681 $4,681

311.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$2,243 $2,243

209.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

$3,622 $3,622

44.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.64

3.16%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Last update for Knoxville, TN: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Knoxville, TN

$1.3K 49.8% 58.8% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Knoxville, TN

$383 14.9% 30.7% $169

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Knoxville, TN

$303 11.8% 25.5% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Knoxville, TN

$351 13.6% 3.9% $14

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Knoxville, TN

$149 5.8% 12.5% $21

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Knoxville, TN

$46 1.8% 72.5% $122

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Knoxville, TN

$60 2.3% 62.2% $98

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,347 in New York, NY and $1,811 in Knoxville, TN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 45% 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: $120 in New York, NY vs $75.0 in Knoxville, TN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $552 vs $383 per month, with Knoxville, TN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Knoxville, TN

🕒 Local time

09:17 9:17 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

190,740

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Knoxville, TN 1,000 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Knoxville, 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

New York, NY vs Knoxville, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Knoxville, TN wins on cost – living expenses run 92% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Knoxville, TN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 45% higher in New York, NY, 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: $4,347 in New York, NY versus $1,811 in Knoxville, TN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Knoxville, TN – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $120 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Knoxville, TN is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Knoxville, TN delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,576 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Knoxville, TN hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Knoxville, TN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.