Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Nashville, TN: $2,847 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $25,200 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
139

Cost of Living Index in Nashville, TN
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Nashville, TN Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Nashville, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,847

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Nashville, 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 Nashville, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,950 in New York, NY versus $2,847 in Nashville, TN.

New York, NY $4,950
Nashville, TN $2,847

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,265 in New York, NY versus $4,247 in Nashville, TN.

New York, NY $7,265
Nashville, TN $4,247

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,581 in New York, NY versus $5,647 in Nashville, TN.

New York, NY $9,581
Nashville, TN $5,647

Living in New York, NY is roughly 74% more expensive than in Nashville, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 267% above, Nashville, TN 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.65 $24.65

$18.45 $18.45

33.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$84.1 $84.1

44.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 $13.91

$12.21 $12.21

13.92%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$6.61 $6.61

-0.30%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$2.88 $2.88

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.43 $2.43

18.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 $7.79

$6.91 $6.91

12.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$7.98 $7.98

23.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.14 $1.14

21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$3.93 $3.93

19.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$3.96 $3.96

90.40%

Eggs

$5.93 $5.93

$4.31 $4.31

37.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 $18.83

$12.91 $12.91

45.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$14.24 $14.24

21.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.51 $18.51

$18.32 $18.32

1.04%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$5.69 $5.69

18.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.52 $1.52

37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$4.23 $4.23

43.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$5.08 $5.08

32.68%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.59 $2.59

56.37%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.02 $3.02

44.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.26 $2.26

27.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.33 $2.33

11.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.72 $18.72

$10.39 $10.39

80.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.06 $20.06

$15.51 $15.51

29.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.37 $2.37

37.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$4.66 $4.66

-19.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.03 $2.03

50.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$64.7 $64.7

117.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$5.09 $5.09

-40.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.59 $1.59

35.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 $41.82

$20.80 $20.80

101.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.00 $1.00

12.00%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$36.7K $36.7K

-3.48%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$27.1K $27.1K

-3.83%

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

$219 $219

$232 $232

-5.46%

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

$73.2 $73.2

$74.0 $74.0

-1.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.0 $72.0

$74.8 $74.8

-3.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$55.2 $55.2

122.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

$14.44 $14.44

368.63%

Cinema Ticket

$22.85 $22.85

$14.87 $14.87

53.67%

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

$3,333 $3,333

$1,475 $1,475

125.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$60.0K $60.0K

$30.9K $30.9K

93.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 $75.2

$55.5 $55.5

35.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 $52.4

$43.06 $43.06

21.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$91.7 $91.7

32.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$139 $139

-4.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,389 $4,389

$1,999 $1,999

119.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,130 $3,130

$1,380 $1,380

126.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,918 $8,918

$4,438 $4,438

100.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,354 $5,354

$2,422 $2,422

121.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$8,035 $8,035

141.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

$2,673 $2,673

154.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,343 $5,343

$4,645 $4,645

15.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.55

4.12%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nashville, TN: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2%

Nashville, TN

$1.4K 48.5% 55.9% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$545 11%

Nashville, TN

$432 15.2% 20.8% $113

Eating Out

New York, NY

$404 8.2%

Nashville, TN

$335 11.8% 16.9% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Nashville, TN

$381 13.4% 4.5% $16

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.5%

Nashville, TN

$148 5.2% 14% $24

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Nashville, TN

$85 3% 49.6% $83

Getting Around

New York, NY

$167 3.4%

Nashville, TN

$86 3% 48.5% $81

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,389 in New York, NY and $1,999 in Nashville, TN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 15% 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: $122 in New York, NY vs $84.0 in Nashville, TN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $545 vs $432 per month, with Nashville, TN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Nashville, TN

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

10:49 10:49 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

689,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Nashville, TN 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

New York, NY and Nashville, TN differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($4,950 vs $2,847 including rent). Nashville, TN is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% 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: $4,389 in New York, NY versus $1,999 in Nashville, TN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,333 in New York, NY versus $1,475 in Nashville, TN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Nashville, TN is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Nashville, TN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.