Cost of living in Nashville — is your salary enough?
Nashville rents climbed to $1,800/month following rapid population growth and a corporate relocation boom. Nashville's no-income-tax advantage is increasingly offset by rent growth that has outpaced local wage increases.
Rent in Nashville
Other monthly costs
How different incomes stack up
At typical Nashville costs ($1,800 rent)
See your personal verdict for Nashville
Cost figures are estimates based on reported median rents and typical spending patterns. Savings benchmarks from BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2023. Figures in USD.
Frequently asked questions — Living in Nashville
How much does it cost to live in Nashville?+
Core monthly costs in Nashville run about $3,500 — roughly $1,800 for rent and $1,700 for other living expenses (food, transport, utilities, basics). Nashville rents climbed to $1,800/month following rapid population growth and a corporate relocation boom.
What is the median rent in Nashville?+
The median rent in Nashville is around $1,800 per month. Nashville is classified as a high cost cost-of-living city in United States.
What salary do you need to live comfortably in Nashville?+
Using the 70%-rule (core costs ≤ 70% of gross), you need roughly $60,000 per year before tax to live comfortably in Nashville. That leaves room to hit the 12% savings benchmark for United States.
Is Nashville expensive compared to the rest of United States?+
Nashville sits in the high cost tier within United States. Nashville's no-income-tax advantage is increasingly offset by rent growth that has outpaced local wage increases.
How much of your income should rent take in Nashville?+
The standard rule is no more than 30% of gross income on rent. At $1,800/month in Nashville, that means a gross income of at least $72,000 per year to stay under the 30% threshold.
Can you still save money living in Nashville?+
Yes — the United States benchmark for mid-income earners is 12% of gross income. In a high cost city like Nashville, hitting that rate is tighter but achievable with disciplined budgeting.
Also in the Verdict suite