Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Knoxville's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
Index: 100 = US city average. Values >100 mean more expensive, <100 means cheaper.
How far does your salary go in Knoxville?
Your $100,000 in Knoxville has the same purchasing power as $121,566 in the average US city. You'd need $21,566 less here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Within 10 points of Knoxville's cost index of 82, sorted by closest match.
Knoxville, Tennessee has a cost-of-living index of 82, which is 18% below the national average. The typical renter pays $1,043 per month. The median household earns $48,309 per year.
To match the lifestyle of a $70,000 earner in the average US city, you'd need about $57,582 per year in Knoxville. Single renters typically want at least three times the $12,516 threshold to cover housing comfortably.
Knoxville is cheaper than most US cities. Overall prices are 18% below the national average.