Monthly estimate = 1BR rent + electricity + gas
A one-person monthly baseline (1BR rent plus typical utilities) runs $1,350 in Fairbanks, AK versus $1,500 in Nashville, TN. Overall, Fairbanks, AK is roughly 10% cheaper to live in day-to-day than Nashville, TN, driven mainly by rent.
Median household income is $72,077 in Fairbanks, AK and $75,197 in Nashville, TN — about 4% higher in Nashville, TN. Alaska has no state income tax and no state sales tax; Tennessee has no state income tax and a 7% state sales tax.
Rent
Buying a Home
Income
People & Lifestyle
Crime (per 100k/yr)
FBI Crime Data Explorer. Offenses per 100,000 residents per year; agency reporting practices vary, so this is approximate.
Climate
Gas
Area: West Coast (PADD 5) vs Midwest (PADD 2).
Public Transit
Adult base one-way fare — — vs WeGo Public Transit (2026).
Utilities
Residential, state-level averages (EIA). MCF = 1,000 cubic feet.
Groceries
Average prices — West vs South (BLS). Regional where available, otherwise U.S. average.
State Taxes
Fairbanks vs Nashville — FAQ
- Is it cheaper to live in Fairbanks or Nashville?
- Fairbanks, AK is cheaper. Its monthly baseline of $1,350 (1BR rent + utilities) runs about 10% below Nashville, TN's $1,500, mainly because of rent.
- How much more do you need to earn to live in Fairbanks than in Nashville?
- To keep rent near the recommended 30% of gross income, you'd want to earn roughly $43,000 a year in Fairbanks versus $53,000 in Nashville.
- Which has lower taxes, Fairbanks or Nashville?
- Fairbanks is taxed under Alaska's rules (no state income tax and no state sales tax); Nashville under Tennessee's (no state income tax and a 7% state sales tax).
Sources: US Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year (rent, income, home value, demographics); NOAA Climate Normals 1981–2010 (climate); EIA weekly retail (gas); Tax Foundation 2026 (state taxes).