Living Cost Compare
Nashville

Tennessee

$1,500/mo est.

vs
New Orleans

Louisiana

$1,170/mo est.

Monthly estimate = 1BR rent + electricity + gas

A one-person monthly baseline (1BR rent plus typical utilities) runs $1,500 in Nashville, TN versus $1,170 in New Orleans, LA. Overall, New Orleans, LA is roughly 22% cheaper to live in day-to-day than Nashville, TN, driven mainly by rent.

Median household income is $75,197 in Nashville, TN and $55,339 in New Orleans, LA — about 26% higher in Nashville, TN. Tennessee has no state income tax and a 7% state sales tax; Louisiana has a top state income tax rate of 3.00% and a 5% state sales tax.

Nashville, TN
New Orleans, LA

Rent

Studio
$1,341
$953
+29% in Nashville, TN
1 Bedroom
$1,336
$1,019
+24% in Nashville, TN
2 Bedroom
$1,478
$1,287
+13% in Nashville, TN
3 Bedroom
$1,832
$1,392
+24% in Nashville, TN

Buying a Home

Median Home Value
$383,100
$296,400
+23% in Nashville, TN

Income

Median Household Income
$75,197
$55,339
+26% in Nashville, TN
Metro Median Wage (annual)
$50,390
$47,290
+6% in Nashville, TN

People & Lifestyle

Median Age
34.4 yr
38.4 yr
+4.0 yr in New Orleans, LA
Homeownership
53.0%
50.5%
+2.5 pp in Nashville, TN
Bachelor's+ (25+)
46.9%
42.0%
+4.9 pp in Nashville, TN
Avg Commute
24.9 min
22.7 min
+2.2 min in Nashville, TN

Crime (per 100k/yr)

Violent Crime
1,178.6
1,361.1
+15% in New Orleans, LA
Property Crime
4,557.6
5,089.6
+12% in New Orleans, LA

FBI Crime Data Explorer. Offenses per 100,000 residents per year; agency reporting practices vary, so this is approximate.

Climate

Avg Annual Temperature
59.4°F
70.6°F
+11.2°F in New Orleans, LA
Annual Precipitation
47.3 in
62.3 in
+15.0 in in New Orleans, LA

Gas

Regular Gasoline
$4.35/gal
$3.99/gal
+8% in Nashville, TN

Area: Midwest (PADD 2) vs Gulf Coast (PADD 3).

Public Transit

Base Fare (one-way)
$2.00
$1.25
+38% in Nashville, TN

Adult base one-way fare — WeGo Public Transit vs New Orleans RTA (2026).

Utilities

Electricity (¢/kWh)
15.1
14.2
+6% in Nashville, TN
Natural Gas ($/MCF)
$15.54
$16.62
+7% in New Orleans, LA

Residential, state-level averages (EIA). MCF = 1,000 cubic feet.

Groceries

Milk (gal)
$4.16
$4.16
about equal
Bread (lb)
$1.73
$1.73
about equal
Eggs (doz)
$2.19
$2.19
about equal
Ground Beef (lb)
$6.56
$6.56
about equal
Chicken (lb)
$1.90
$1.90
about equal
Bananas (lb)
$0.61
$0.61
about equal

Average prices — South vs South (BLS). Regional where available, otherwise U.S. average.

State Taxes

Sales Tax (TN / LA)
7%
5%
+2.0 pp in TN
Income Tax (top rate)
None
3.00%
+3.0 pp in LA

Nashville vs New Orleans — FAQ

Is it cheaper to live in Nashville or New Orleans?
New Orleans, LA is cheaper. Its monthly baseline of $1,170 (1BR rent + utilities) runs about 22% below Nashville, TN's $1,500, mainly because of rent.
How much more do you need to earn to live in Nashville than in New Orleans?
To keep rent near the recommended 30% of gross income, you'd want to earn roughly $53,000 a year in Nashville versus $41,000 in New Orleans.
Which has lower taxes, Nashville or New Orleans?
Nashville is taxed under Tennessee's rules (no state income tax and a 7% state sales tax); New Orleans under Louisiana's (a top state income tax rate of 3.00% and a 5% 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).