Overall
- Memphis
- 92.2
- Williamsport
- 92.3
Diff +0.2 RPP
Memphis vs Williamsport
Cost of living comparison based on BEA Regional Price Parities. Williamsport is 0.2% more expensive than Memphis.
0.2% more expensive
Williamsport, PA is 0.2% more expensive than Memphis, TN-MS-AR on BEA Regional Price Parities (overall RPP 92.3 vs 92.2). A $100,000 salary in Memphis buys about the same as $100,186 in Williamsport; the largest component gap is services.
- Overall RPP 92.2 (Memphis) vs 92.3 (Williamsport)
- $100k in Memphis ≈ $100,186 purchasing power in Williamsport
- Services drives the gap (+33.4 RPP points)
RPP parity plate
Pair TN:PA 92.2→92.3
PHOTO-FINISH · CROSS-STATE · SPLIT-BUDGET · BOTH-BELOW · PP-PAR
- PHOTO-FINISH Photo finish
- CROSS-STATE TN × PA
- 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
Williamsport
92.3
Cost Index
What This Comparison Actually Tells You
Memphis, TN-MS-AR and Williamsport, PA are a photo finish on overall price level, only 0.2 RPP points apart. A salary conversion is therefore a fine adjustment, not evidence of a fundamentally different cost regime.
Services creates the largest separation: Williamsport is 33.4 points higher. But rents 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 service-heavy household, test childcare, health, and other locally supplied costs before relying on rent alone. The BEA ratio converts $100,000 in Memphis to $100,186 in Williamsport, but it is not a personal spending weight.
Category Breakdown
Goods
- Memphis
- 96.2
- Williamsport
- 100.7
Diff +4.5 RPP
Services
- Memphis
- 74.1
- Williamsport
- 107.5
Diff +33.4 RPP
Rents
- Memphis
- 79.8
- Williamsport
- 64.4
Diff -15.4 RPP
| Category | Memphis | Williamsport | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 92.2 | 92.3 | +0.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 100.7 | +4.5 |
| Services | 74.1 | 107.5 | +33.4 |
| Rents | 79.8 | 64.4 | -15.4 |
Visual Comparison
Overall
Memphis 92.2
Williamsport 92.3
Goods
Memphis 96.2
Williamsport 100.7
Services
Memphis 74.1
Williamsport 107.5
Rents
Memphis 79.8
Williamsport 64.4
Vertical line = national average (100)
Salary Equivalents
What a salary in Memphis would need to be in Williamsport for the same purchasing power:
| In Memphis | In Williamsport | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $50,093 | +$93 |
| $75,000 | $75,139 | +$139 |
| $100,000 | $100,186 | +$186 |
| $150,000 | $150,278 | +$278 |
$ in Memphis = in Williamsport
Same BEA Regional Price Parity ratio as the table above (92.2 → 92.3), computed live from your number, nothing is sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Williamsport more expensive than Memphis?
Williamsport is 0.2% more expensive than Memphis. The overall cost index is 92.3 vs 92.2 (national average = 100).
What salary in Williamsport equals $100K in Memphis?
A $100,000 salary in Memphis has the same purchasing power as $100,186 in Williamsport. This is based on the BEA Regional Price Parity indexes.
How do rents compare between Memphis and Williamsport?
Rents in Memphis are indexed at 79.8 while Williamsport is at 64.4 (national average = 100). Memphis 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.