Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

110

Cost of Living Index in Tulsa, OK
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Tulsa, OK Living Index
124

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

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Tulsa, OK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,260

/mo nomad

Knoxville, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,576

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tulsa, OK 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 Tulsa, OK and in Knoxville, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Tulsa, OK costs roughly 12% less than in Knoxville, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.13 $16.13

$17.71 $17.71

-8.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.4 $73.4

$74.6 $74.6

-1.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 $9.89

$9.86 $9.86

0.30%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$5.38 $5.38

-9.48%

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

$2.31 $2.31

$2.83 $2.83

-18.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.75 $2.75

-38.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.08 $5.08

$6.36 $6.36

-20.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 $6.99

$6.60 $6.60

5.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.06 $1.06

3.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.47 $3.47

2.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.77 $5.77

$4.56 $4.56

26.54%

Eggs

$4.07 $4.07

$4.46 $4.46

-8.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.39 $15.39

$10.08 $10.08

52.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.01 $12.01

$9.22 $9.22

30.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.75 $14.75

$14.91 $14.91

-1.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$7.04 $7.04

-36.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.55 $1.55

8.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.87 $2.87

32.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$5.58 $5.58

-36.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.16 $2.16

18.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$4.36 $4.36

-32.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.23 $2.23

-8.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.19 $2.19

0.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.94 $9.94

$8.99 $8.99

10.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.24 $13.24

$15.23 $15.23

-13.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.91 $1.91

4.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 $4.66

$3.14 $3.14

48.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.02 $1.02

69.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.02 $45.02

$29.58 $29.58

52.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 $1.99

$5.10 $5.10

-60.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.51 $1.51

-15.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.56 $29.56

$29.87 $29.87

-1.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.01 $1.01

-6.93%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.9K $27.9K

-3.85%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$27.3K $27.3K

-5.62%

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

$247 $247

$223 $223

10.56%

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

$68.5 $68.5

$74.4 $74.4

-7.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.3 $64.3

$53.1 $53.1

21.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.34 $48.34

$29.37 $29.37

64.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.87 $19.87

$21.90 $21.90

-9.27%

Cinema Ticket

$13.32 $13.32

$15.20 $15.20

-12.37%

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

$1,163 $1,163

$1,246 $1,246

-6.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.5K $25.5K

$24.5K $24.5K

4.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 $75.0

$50.9 $50.9

47.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.0 $62.0

$45.53 $45.53

36.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$112 $112

7.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 $151

$123 $123

22.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 $1,241

$1,811 $1,811

-31.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$893 $893

$1,284 $1,284

-30.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 $1,993

$2,901 $2,901

-31.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 $1,509

$2,144 $2,144

-29.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,849 $1,849

$4,681 $4,681

-60.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,677 $1,677

$2,243 $2,243

-25.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,516 $3,516

$3,622 $3,622

-2.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.64

-0.75%

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

Last update for Tulsa, OK: October 18, 2026

Last update for Knoxville, TN: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tulsa, OK

$893 39.5%

Knoxville, TN

$1.3K 49.8% 43.7% $391

Groceries & Markets

Tulsa, OK

$396 17.5%

Knoxville, TN

$383 14.9% 3.2% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tulsa, OK

$380 16.8%

Knoxville, TN

$351 13.6% 7.6% $29

Eating Out

Tulsa, OK

$273 12.1%

Knoxville, TN

$303 11.8% 11.2% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Tulsa, OK

$183 8.1%

Knoxville, TN

$149 5.8% 18.8% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Tulsa, OK

$75 3.3%

Knoxville, TN

$60 2.3% 20.3% $15

Getting Around

Tulsa, OK

$60 2.7%

Knoxville, TN

$46 1.8% 23.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,241 in Tulsa, OK and $1,811 in Knoxville, TN. 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: $73.0 in Tulsa, OK vs $75.0 in Knoxville, TN. Groceries flip the comparison at $396 vs $383, with Knoxville, TN cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tulsa, OK

🇺🇸 Knoxville, TN

🕒 Local time

03:08 3:08 AM

04:08 4:08 AM

1 h ahead of Tulsa, OK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

413,066

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

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

From you

Tulsa, OK
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

Tulsa, OK vs Knoxville, TN: 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.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Knoxville, TN. 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: $1,241 in Tulsa, OK versus $1,811 in Knoxville, TN. 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.