Monthly estimate = 1BR rent + electricity + gas
A one-person monthly baseline (1BR rent plus typical utilities) runs $1,490 in Nashville, TN versus $1,510 in Raleigh, NC. Overall, Nashville, TN is roughly 1% cheaper to live in day-to-day than Raleigh, NC, driven mainly by natural gas costs.
Median household income is $75,197 in Nashville, TN and $82,424 in Raleigh, NC — about 9% higher in Raleigh, NC. Tennessee has no state income tax and a 7% state sales tax; North Carolina has a top state income tax rate of 3.99% and a 4.75% 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: Midwest (PADD 2) vs East Coast (PADD 1).
Public Transit
Adult base one-way fare — WeGo Public Transit vs GoRaleigh (2026).
Utilities
Residential, state-level averages (EIA). MCF = 1,000 cubic feet.
Groceries
Average prices — South vs South (BLS). Regional where available, otherwise U.S. average.
State Taxes
Nashville vs Raleigh — FAQ
- Is it cheaper to live in Nashville or Raleigh?
- Nashville, TN is cheaper. Its monthly baseline of $1,490 (1BR rent + utilities) runs about 1% below Raleigh, NC's $1,510, mainly because of natural gas costs.
- How much more do you need to earn to live in Nashville than in Raleigh?
- To keep rent near the recommended 30% of gross income, you'd want to earn roughly $53,000 a year in Nashville versus $53,000 in Raleigh.
- Which has lower taxes, Nashville or Raleigh?
- Nashville is taxed under Tennessee's rules (no state income tax and a 7% state sales tax); Raleigh under North Carolina's (a top state income tax rate of 3.99% and a 4.75% 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).