Living Cost Compare
Nashville

Tennessee

$1,490/mo est.

vs
St. Paul

Minnesota

$1,300/mo est.

Monthly estimate = 1BR rent + electricity + gas

A one-person monthly baseline (1BR rent plus typical utilities) runs $1,490 in Nashville, TN versus $1,300 in St. Paul, MN. Overall, St. Paul, MN is roughly 13% cheaper to live in day-to-day than Nashville, TN, driven mainly by rent.

Median household income is $75,197 in Nashville, TN and $73,055 in St. Paul, MN — about 3% higher in Nashville, TN. Tennessee has no state income tax and a 7% state sales tax; Minnesota has a top state income tax rate of 9.85% and a 6.875% state sales tax.

Nashville, TN
St. Paul, MN

Rent

Studio
$1,341
$995
+26% in Nashville, TN
1 Bedroom
$1,336
$1,126
+16% in Nashville, TN
2 Bedroom
$1,478
$1,384
+6% in Nashville, TN
3 Bedroom
$1,832
$1,662
+9% in Nashville, TN

Buying a Home

Median Home Value
$383,100
$280,300
+27% in Nashville, TN

Income

Median Household Income
$75,197
$73,055
+3% in Nashville, TN
Metro Median Wage (annual)
$50,390
$59,320
+18% in St. Paul, MN

People & Lifestyle

Median Age
34.4 yr
33.5 yr
+0.9 yr in Nashville, TN
Homeownership
53.0%
53.2%
+0.2 pp in St. Paul, MN
Bachelor's+ (25+)
46.9%
43.5%
+3.4 pp in Nashville, TN
Avg Commute
24.9 min
22.3 min
+2.6 min in Nashville, TN

Crime (per 100k/yr)

Violent Crime
1,178.7
619
+47% in Nashville, TN
Property Crime
4,558.5
2,897.2
+36% in Nashville, TN

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
47.1°F
+12.3°F in Nashville, TN
Annual Precipitation
47.3 in
28.5 in
+18.7 in in Nashville, TN

Gas

Regular Gasoline
$3.94/gal
$3.95/gal
about equal

Area: Midwest (PADD 2) vs Minnesota.

Public Transit

Base Fare (one-way)
$2.00
—

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

Utilities

Electricity (¢/kWh)
14.5
16.9
+17% in St. Paul, MN
Natural Gas ($/MCF)
$16.83
$14.95
+11% in Nashville, TN

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

Groceries

Milk (gal)
$4.00
$4.31
+8% in St. Paul, MN
Bread (lb)
$1.75
$1.66
+5% in Nashville, TN
Eggs (doz)
$2.21
$3.63
+64% in St. Paul, MN
Ground Beef (lb)
$6.45
$6.77
+5% in St. Paul, MN
Chicken (lb)
$1.90
$2.10
+10% in St. Paul, MN
Bananas (lb)
$0.62
$0.62
about equal

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

State Taxes

Sales Tax (TN / MN)
7%
6.875%
+0.1 pp in TN
Income Tax (top rate)
None
9.85%
+9.8 pp in MN

Nashville vs St. Paul — FAQ

Is it cheaper to live in Nashville or St. Paul?
St. Paul, MN is cheaper. Its monthly baseline of $1,300 (1BR rent + utilities) runs about 13% below Nashville, TN's $1,490, mainly because of rent.
How much more do you need to earn to live in Nashville than in St. Paul?
To keep rent near the recommended 30% of gross income, you'd want to earn roughly $53,000 a year in Nashville versus $45,000 in St. Paul.
Which has lower taxes, Nashville or St. Paul?
Nashville is taxed under Tennessee's rules (no state income tax and a 7% state sales tax); St. Paul under Minnesota's (a top state income tax rate of 9.85% and a 6.875% 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).