City comparison
Cleveland, TN is about 300 miles (475 km) from Memphis, TN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 350 miles, or about 6 h behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Cleveland, TN to Memphis, TN takes about 35 min, covering roughly 300 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Memphis has a population of 630,027, vs 47,725 in Cleveland — about 13.2× larger by population. By land area, Memphis covers about 290 sq mi vs 31 sq mi for Cleveland.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Cleveland | Memphis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $922/mo | $1,050/mo | 13.9% higher in Memphis |
| Median home value | $225,700 | $139,600 | 61.7% higher in Cleveland |
| Median household income | $52,468 | $48,090 | 9.1% higher in Cleveland |
| Groceries index | 96.5 | 96.4 | ≈ equal (Cleveland slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 74.3 | 76.0 | 2.2% higher in Memphis |
| Transportation index | 95.6 | 95.8 | ≈ equal (Memphis slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 95.1 | 95.3 | ≈ equal (Memphis slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Cleveland, you'd need $110,197 in Memphis to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Cleveland, TN is about 9.3% cheaper overall than Memphis, TN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 30% higher in Memphis than in Cleveland. If you earn $80,000 in Cleveland, you'd need about $88,157 in Memphis to keep the same standard of living.