Question 1

Is Los Angeles or Nashville cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

Nashville, TN is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $2,118/month less than in Los Angeles, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $2,903/mo in Los Angeles versus $1,730/mo in Nashville.

Question 2

What salary do you need in Los Angeles vs Nashville?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $122,000/year before tax in Los Angeles, CA and $68,000/year in Nashville, TN — a difference of about $54,000. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is Los Angeles or Nashville cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

Nashville, the same answer as for a single person. A four-person household runs about $11,266/month in Los Angeles and $7,166/month in Nashville, with rent scaled to household size using each city's own bedroom spread.

Question 4

Should I move to Los Angeles or Nashville?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. Nashville costs less month to month, but cost is one of six factors — jobs, safety, climate, housing and amenities all differ too. Compare them against your own income and priorities rather than a single ranking.

Metric	Los Angeles47	Nashville74
Est. monthly cost (single)	$6,022	$3,904
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$11,266	$7,166
Salary for comfort	$122,000/yr	$68,000/yr
Typical rent	$2,903	$1,730
Median home value	$879,500	$383,100
Median household income	$80,366	$75,197
Unemployment	5.3%	2.9%
Housing score	2	46
Jobs score	25	94
Safety score	47	35
Climate score	100	100
Amenities score	100	77
Population	3.9M	684.3K
Summer high / winter low	89° / 47°	89° / 28°

Los Angeles, CA vs Nashville, TN