Davidson County · Tennessee
Nashville cost of living (TN)
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Nashville costs 3.7% below the national average — all-items price level 96.3, rank 65 of 94 covered metros. A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $96,338 here. Utilities is the reason, at 72.0.
- All items
- 96.3US average = 100
- Housing
- 104.64.6% above the national average
- Goods
- 96.23.8% below the national average
- Other services
- 95.14.9% below the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 96.2 | -3.8% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 104.6 | +4.6% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 72.0 | -28.0% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 95.1 | -4.9% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
Reading the Nashville price level
What the 96.3 figure actually means for a household here.
Nashville prices sit 3.7% below the US average — an all-items parity of 96.3, rank 65 of 94 covered metros. Moderately below average. The median covered metro reads 100.8.
Utilities drives it: 72.0, 28.0% below average. Housing pulls the other way at 104.6. The spread between the cheapest and dearest component is 32.7 points, so the headline number hides real variation — a renter and an owner in Nashville do not face the same cost gap versus the rest of the country.
A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $96,338 here to buy the same basket. Run it the other way: the $72,089 median household income in Nashville is worth $74,829 in national-average dollars, 4.7% below the $78,538 US median. Local pay does not cover the local price level.
Parities are published for Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN as a whole. Neighbourhood prices inside that metro diverge widely, and BEA revises the series annually.
What your salary is worth in Nashville, TN
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (96.3 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $74,829
- Needed to match US average
- $69,449
- Monthly difference
- $-220
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
$72,089 median household income in Nashville is worth $74,829 in national-average dollars. BEA calls that real income: income × 100 ÷ 96.3.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this area.
- Is Nashville expensive?
- No — 3.7% below the US average, rank 65 of 94 covered metros. utilities is the component furthest from average at 72.0.
- What salary do you need to live in Nashville, TN?
- $96,338 to match a $100,000 national-average salary. The local median household earns $72,089, worth $74,829 after adjusting for the 96.3 price level.
- Why is the cost of living low in Nashville?
- Utilities at 72.0 versus housing at 104.6. A 32.7-point spread between components means one category, not general inflation, sets the headline figure.
More Nashville data
Other Nashville datasets on this site.
- Nashville population and income
- Nashville sales tax rate
- Nashville property tax
- Nashville home values and rent
- Nashville crime rates
- Nashville public schools
- Nashville weather normals
- Nashville commute times
- Nashville jobs and wages
Statewide: Tennessee cities · Tennessee ZIP codes · Tennessee sales tax · Tennessee counties
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.