Overall
Diff +0.4 RPP
Memphis vs Knoxville
Cost of living comparison based on BEA Regional Price Parities. Knoxville is 0.4% more expensive than Memphis.
0.4% more expensive
Knoxville, TN is 0.4% more expensive than Memphis, TN-MS-AR on BEA Regional Price Parities (overall RPP 92.6 vs 92.2). A $100,000 salary in Memphis buys about the same as $100,423 in Knoxville; the largest component gap is rents.
- Overall RPP 92.2 (Memphis) vs 92.6 (Knoxville)
- $100k in Memphis ≈ $100,423 purchasing power in Knoxville
- Rents drives the gap (+3.0 RPP points)
RPP parity plate
Pair TN:TN 92.2→92.6
PHOTO-FINISH · SAME-STATE · SPLIT-BUDGET · BOTH-BELOW · PP-PAR
- PHOTO-FINISH Photo finish
- SAME-STATE Same state · TN
- SPLIT-BUDGET Split budget
- BOTH-BELOW Both below 100
- PP-PAR PP near-par
Instrument codes from this pair's BEA Regional Price Parities (overall · goods · services · rents · national benchmark 100 · purchasing-power conversion), not a ranking or recommendation.
Memphis
92.2
Cost Index
Knoxville
92.6
Cost Index
What This Comparison Actually Tells You
Memphis, TN-MS-AR and Knoxville, TN are a photo finish on overall price level, only 0.4 RPP points apart. A salary conversion is therefore a fine adjustment, not evidence of a fundamentally different cost regime.
Rents creates the largest separation: Knoxville is 3.0 points higher. But services move against the overall direction, so this is a split budget rather than a clean across-the-board winner.
Comparable population context is incomplete for this pair, so no market-scale explanation is inferred from the price indexes.
Both metros remain below the U.S. benchmark of 100. This comparison chooses between two below-average price levels; “more expensive” here does not mean nationally expensive.
For a housing-sensitive move, validate the rent gap first: HUD Fair Market Rent and the actual unit size can overturn what the blended index implies. On the BEA ratio alone, $100,000 in Memphis corresponds to $100,423 in Knoxville.
Category Breakdown
Goods
Diff +0.0 RPP
Services
Diff -2.2 RPP
Rents
Diff +3.0 RPP
| Category | Memphis | Knoxville | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 92.2 | 92.6 | +0.4 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.2 | +0.0 |
| Services | 74.1 | 71.9 | -2.2 |
| Rents | 79.8 | 82.8 | +3.0 |
Visual Comparison
Overall
Memphis 92.2
Knoxville 92.6
Goods
Memphis 96.2
Knoxville 96.2
Services
Memphis 74.1
Knoxville 71.9
Rents
Memphis 79.8
Knoxville 82.8
Vertical line = national average (100)
Salary Equivalents
What a salary in Memphis would need to be in Knoxville for the same purchasing power:
| In Memphis | In Knoxville | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $50,212 | +$212 |
| $75,000 | $75,317 | +$317 |
| $100,000 | $100,423 | +$423 |
| $150,000 | $150,635 | +$635 |
$ in Memphis = in Knoxville
Same BEA Regional Price Parity ratio as the table above (92.2 → 92.6), computed live from your number, nothing is sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Knoxville more expensive than Memphis?
Knoxville is 0.4% more expensive than Memphis. The overall cost index is 92.6 vs 92.2 (national average = 100).
What salary in Knoxville equals $100K in Memphis?
A $100,000 salary in Memphis has the same purchasing power as $100,423 in Knoxville. This is based on the BEA Regional Price Parity indexes.
How do rents compare between Memphis and Knoxville?
Rents in Memphis are indexed at 79.8 while Knoxville is at 82.8 (national average = 100). Knoxville has higher rents.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.