Nashville, TN vs Austin, TX: cost of living compared
Price levels from BEA (2024); rent and home values from Zillow (September 2026).
The short answer
- Overall, Austin, TX is 1.8% more expensive than Nashville, TN (BEA, 2024).
- To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Nashville works out to about $76,300 in Austin, before taxes.
- Most of the difference is housing, which costs 15.0% more in Austin. Goods are 2.6% lower and other services 1.2% higher.
- Typical asking rent is $1,603 a month in Austin and $1,803 in Nashville, $2,400 a year less in Austin (Zillow, September 2026).
- A typical home is valued at about $414,000 in Austin and $449,000 in Nashville.
- The gap has narrowed since 2019, when Austin was 3.7% more expensive than Nashville.
derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) and Zillow data. Based on an average household's spending; taxes not included. How we calculate.
Category by category
Both cities against the US average (100). The gap in each row is what matters for a move.
Housing drives the gap: 15.0% higher in Austin than in Nashville
Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.
- Nashville, TN
- Austin, TX
All items Nashville, TN: 96.3 Austin, TX: 98.1
Goods Nashville, TN: 96.2 Austin, TX: 93.8
Housing (rents) Nashville, TN: 104.6 Austin, TX: 120.4
Utilities Nashville, TN: 72.0 Austin, TX: 82.0
Other services Nashville, TN: 95.1 Austin, TX: 96.2
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Nashville, TN | Austin, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 96.3 | 98.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 93.8 |
| Housing (rents) | 104.6 | 120.4 |
| Utilities | 72.0 | 82.0 |
| Other services | 95.1 | 96.2 |
| Category | Nashville | Austin | Austin vs Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 96.3 | 98.1 | +1.8% |
| Goods | 96.2 | 93.8 | −2.6% |
| Housing (rents) | 104.6 | 120.4 | +15.0% |
| Utilities | 72.0 | 82.0 | +14.0% |
| Other services | 95.1 | 96.2 | +1.2% |
| Typical asking rent | $1,803 | $1,603 | −11.1% |
| Typical home value | $449,000 | $414,000 | −7.7% |
| Salary to match $75,000 in Nashville | $75,000 | $76,300 | +1.8% |
Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Rent and home values: Data Provided by Zillow Group, September 2026.
How the gap has changed since 2008
The price gap between Nashville and Austin has narrowed since 2008: 3.9 points then, 1.7 now
Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.
- Nashville, TN
- Austin, TX
US average = 100
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Nashville, TN | Austin, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 95.7 | 99.6 |
| 2009 | 95.2 | 98.9 |
| 2010 | 96.7 | 99.8 |
| 2011 | 97.0 | 100.3 |
| 2012 | 97.4 | 100.9 |
| 2013 | 97.6 | 100.8 |
| 2014 | 97.3 | 101.4 |
| 2015 | 97.3 | 101.6 |
| 2016 | 99.3 | 102.6 |
| 2017 | 98.5 | 101.8 |
| 2018 | 94.0 | 99.0 |
| 2019 | 95.8 | 99.4 |
| 2020 | 95.9 | 101.1 |
| 2021 | 95.2 | 100.0 |
| 2022 | 96.5 | 98.8 |
| 2023 | 97.0 | 98.3 |
| 2024 | 96.3 | 98.1 |
Goods
- Nashville, TN
- Austin, TX
US = 100
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Nashville, TN | Austin, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 97.1 | 97.1 |
| 2009 | 94.8 | 95.2 |
| 2010 | 96.9 | 96.6 |
| 2011 | 96.7 | 96.9 |
| 2012 | 96.6 | 97.3 |
| 2013 | 97.0 | 97.3 |
| 2014 | 97.3 | 97.6 |
| 2015 | 96.2 | 97.0 |
| 2016 | 97.0 | 97.2 |
| 2017 | 96.7 | 97.1 |
| 2018 | 92.3 | 94.4 |
| 2019 | 94.5 | 96.2 |
| 2020 | 94.3 | 96.2 |
| 2021 | 93.9 | 96.2 |
| 2022 | 94.5 | 93.7 |
| 2023 | 94.3 | 92.9 |
| 2024 | 96.2 | 93.8 |
Housing (rents)
- Nashville, TN
- Austin, TX
US = 100
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Nashville, TN | Austin, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 89.4 | 110.0 |
| 2009 | 92.4 | 111.7 |
| 2010 | 91.5 | 108.1 |
| 2011 | 89.2 | 110.3 |
| 2012 | 89.8 | 115.2 |
| 2013 | 93.7 | 114.7 |
| 2014 | 91.2 | 117.7 |
| 2015 | 91.4 | 119.2 |
| 2016 | 98.8 | 122.7 |
| 2017 | 100.2 | 124.9 |
| 2018 | 99.8 | 121.9 |
| 2019 | 102.5 | 121.5 |
| 2020 | 107.0 | 124.5 |
| 2021 | 104.4 | 122.5 |
| 2022 | 105.3 | 126.3 |
| 2023 | 106.9 | 126.4 |
| 2024 | 104.6 | 120.4 |
Utilities
- Nashville, TN
- Austin, TX
US = 100
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Nashville, TN | Austin, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 80.9 | 99.7 |
| 2009 | 81.2 | 94.4 |
| 2010 | 81.9 | 95.0 |
| 2011 | 84.5 | 90.2 |
| 2012 | 84.3 | 88.5 |
| 2013 | 82.6 | 89.9 |
| 2014 | 84.7 | 93.3 |
| 2015 | 84.0 | 90.8 |
| 2016 | 83.0 | 86.8 |
| 2017 | 81.1 | 82.7 |
| 2018 | 77.5 | 84.1 |
| 2019 | 75.7 | 85.7 |
| 2020 | 73.4 | 85.8 |
| 2021 | 75.7 | 85.8 |
| 2022 | 77.1 | 87.4 |
| 2023 | 76.6 | 89.2 |
| 2024 | 72.0 | 82.0 |
Other services
- Nashville, TN
- Austin, TX
US = 100
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Nashville, TN | Austin, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 98.0 | 98.5 |
| 2009 | 97.5 | 98.1 |
| 2010 | 99.6 | 100.0 |
| 2011 | 101.2 | 100.8 |
| 2012 | 101.5 | 100.7 |
| 2013 | 100.5 | 100.3 |
| 2014 | 100.2 | 100.3 |
| 2015 | 100.9 | 101.0 |
| 2016 | 102.2 | 102.3 |
| 2017 | 100.3 | 100.5 |
| 2018 | 94.5 | 97.7 |
| 2019 | 95.9 | 96.9 |
| 2020 | 95.1 | 99.3 |
| 2021 | 94.5 | 98.1 |
| 2022 | 96.6 | 96.7 |
| 2023 | 97.1 | 95.8 |
| 2024 | 95.1 | 96.2 |
Rent and home values
Typical asking rent: $1,603 in Austin vs $1,803 in Nashville
Typical asking rent for a new lease, dollars per month. Quarterly.
- Nashville, TN
- Austin, TX
- United States
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (typical asking rent, all homes, smoothed), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Nashville, TN | Austin, TX | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $1,127 | $1,179 | $1,145 |
| Jun 2015 | $1,156 | $1,204 | $1,170 |
| Sep 2015 | $1,169 | $1,215 | $1,181 |
| Dec 2015 | $1,165 | $1,212 | $1,182 |
| Mar 2016 | $1,195 | $1,223 | $1,195 |
| Jun 2016 | $1,219 | $1,251 | $1,219 |
| Sep 2016 | $1,228 | $1,249 | $1,225 |
| Dec 2016 | $1,216 | $1,236 | $1,222 |
| Mar 2017 | $1,253 | $1,266 | $1,245 |
| Jun 2017 | $1,273 | $1,285 | $1,270 |
| Sep 2017 | $1,282 | $1,277 | $1,276 |
| Dec 2017 | $1,263 | $1,270 | $1,275 |
| Mar 2018 | $1,289 | $1,286 | $1,296 |
| Jun 2018 | $1,311 | $1,312 | $1,320 |
| Sep 2018 | $1,309 | $1,322 | $1,327 |
| Dec 2018 | $1,312 | $1,327 | $1,329 |
| Mar 2019 | $1,329 | $1,348 | $1,349 |
| Jun 2019 | $1,361 | $1,370 | $1,376 |
| Sep 2019 | $1,366 | $1,386 | $1,383 |
| Dec 2019 | $1,362 | $1,381 | $1,381 |
| Mar 2020 | $1,384 | $1,401 | $1,402 |
| Jun 2020 | $1,395 | $1,383 | $1,406 |
| Sep 2020 | $1,398 | $1,383 | $1,410 |
| Dec 2020 | $1,393 | $1,374 | $1,407 |
| Mar 2021 | $1,421 | $1,425 | $1,443 |
| Jun 2021 | $1,504 | $1,533 | $1,512 |
| Sep 2021 | $1,600 | $1,660 | $1,590 |
| Dec 2021 | $1,634 | $1,671 | $1,622 |
| Mar 2022 | $1,674 | $1,705 | $1,661 |
| Jun 2022 | $1,740 | $1,774 | $1,721 |
| Sep 2022 | $1,752 | $1,788 | $1,748 |
| Dec 2022 | $1,728 | $1,730 | $1,735 |
| Mar 2023 | $1,750 | $1,744 | $1,757 |
| Jun 2023 | $1,769 | $1,748 | $1,785 |
| Sep 2023 | $1,760 | $1,717 | $1,797 |
| Dec 2023 | $1,729 | $1,683 | $1,786 |
| Mar 2024 | $1,750 | $1,671 | $1,807 |
| Jun 2024 | $1,780 | $1,682 | $1,837 |
| Sep 2024 | $1,771 | $1,650 | $1,845 |
| Dec 2024 | $1,749 | $1,610 | $1,836 |
| Mar 2025 | $1,764 | $1,617 | $1,860 |
| Jun 2025 | $1,786 | $1,626 | $1,880 |
| Sep 2025 | $1,781 | $1,592 | $1,881 |
| Dec 2025 | $1,757 | $1,563 | $1,873 |
| Mar 2026 | $1,762 | $1,577 | $1,894 |
| Jun 2026 | $1,792 | $1,598 | $1,921 |
| Sep 2026 | $1,803 | $1,603 | $1,932 |
Typical home value: $414,000 in Austin vs $449,000 in Nashville
Typical home value, dollars. Quarterly.
- Nashville, TN
- Austin, TX
- United States
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (typical home value, middle tier, smoothed, seasonally adjusted), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Nashville, TN | Austin, TX | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $203K | $258K | $189K |
| Jun 2015 | $208K | $263K | $192K |
| Sep 2015 | $214K | $268K | $195K |
| Dec 2015 | $221K | $274K | $199K |
| Mar 2016 | $227K | $279K | $202K |
| Jun 2016 | $233K | $284K | $204K |
| Sep 2016 | $239K | $287K | $206K |
| Dec 2016 | $247K | $291K | $209K |
| Mar 2017 | $254K | $295K | $213K |
| Jun 2017 | $260K | $298K | $216K |
| Sep 2017 | $265K | $299K | $219K |
| Dec 2017 | $271K | $303K | $223K |
| Mar 2018 | $278K | $306K | $227K |
| Jun 2018 | $283K | $308K | $230K |
| Sep 2018 | $287K | $310K | $234K |
| Dec 2018 | $289K | $313K | $236K |
| Mar 2019 | $292K | $314K | $239K |
| Jun 2019 | $294K | $316K | $242K |
| Sep 2019 | $297K | $319K | $244K |
| Dec 2019 | $302K | $325K | $247K |
| Mar 2020 | $308K | $333K | $252K |
| Jun 2020 | $311K | $337K | $255K |
| Sep 2020 | $316K | $346K | $260K |
| Dec 2020 | $327K | $365K | $271K |
| Mar 2021 | $340K | $394K | $282K |
| Jun 2021 | $358K | $454K | $296K |
| Sep 2021 | $377K | $483K | $306K |
| Dec 2021 | $396K | $494K | $314K |
| Mar 2022 | $426K | $530K | $330K |
| Jun 2022 | $454K | $565K | $346K |
| Sep 2022 | $457K | $545K | $348K |
| Dec 2022 | $448K | $516K | $345K |
| Mar 2023 | $441K | $494K | $343K |
| Jun 2023 | $444K | $486K | $347K |
| Sep 2023 | $445K | $482K | $352K |
| Dec 2023 | $446K | $473K | $354K |
| Mar 2024 | $449K | $468K | $357K |
| Jun 2024 | $453K | $465K | $361K |
| Sep 2024 | $452K | $460K | $361K |
| Dec 2024 | $453K | $457K | $363K |
| Mar 2025 | $455K | $450K | $364K |
| Jun 2025 | $453K | $440K | $362K |
| Sep 2025 | $451K | $433K | $362K |
| Dec 2025 | $452K | $429K | $364K |
| Mar 2026 | $451K | $423K | $366K |
| Jun 2026 | $449K | $415K | $365K |
| Sep 2026 | $449K | $414K | $366K |
More about each city
- Cost of living in Nashville, TN
- Cost of living in Austin, TX
- Reverse: moving from Austin to Nashville
Related comparisons
What this comparison leaves out
- Taxes. State and local income, sales and property taxes can change the result a lot, especially between states.
- Neighborhoods. These are metro-wide averages; a city center and its outer suburbs can differ by more than two metros do.
- Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider above if rent is a bigger share of your budget.
- Timing. BEA price levels are for 2024; Zillow figures are monthly and newer.