Cost of Living: Memphis, TN vs New York, NY

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,516/mo in Memphis, TN versus $4,116/mo in New York, NY. In the model, rent is about 16.37% of gross in Memphis, TN versus 25.92% in New York, NY, so Memphis, TN tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Memphis, TN
$4,516/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in New York, NY
$4,116/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Memphis, TN
16.37%
COLI tier: lower-cost
Rent share (1BR) in New York, NY
25.92%
COLI tier: very high-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Memphis, TN and New York, NY.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Memphis, TN
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Memphis, TN
  • Lower home prices: Memphis, TN
  • Higher median household income: New York, NY

Cost of Living Index

Memphis, TN: 82.5 (U.S. = 100) · New York, NY: 168.2 (U.S. = 100)

Memphis, TN has a lower cost-of-living index than New York, NY, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Memphis, TN: $1,067/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · New York, NY: $1,690/mo

Median rent in New York, NY is $623/mo higher than in Memphis, TN.

Median Home Price

Memphis, TN: $157,100 · New York, NY: $751,700

Median home price in New York, NY is $594,600 higher than in Memphis, TN.

Median Household Income

Memphis, TN: $51,211 · New York, NY: $79,713

New York, NY has a higher median household income than Memphis, TN by $28,502.

Memphis, TN overview · New York, NY overview · Popular comparisons