Skip to main content

Nashville vs Charlotte

Nashville, TN  ·  Charlotte, NC

⚖️

Charlotte is 7% cheaper than Nashville overall.

Home Price

Nashville: $445,000

Charlotte: $365,000

Monthly Rent

Nashville: $1,556/mo

Charlotte: $1,595/mo

COL Index

Nashville: 112

Charlotte: 104

Median Income

Nashville: $72,200

Charlotte: $68,600

Side-by-Side Comparison

Metric
Nashville
Charlotte
Winner
🏠

Median Home Price

$445,000
$365,000
Charlotte
🏢

Monthly Rent (Median)

$1,556/mo
$1,595/mo
Nashville
💰

Median Household Income

$72,200
$68,600
Nashville
📋

Property Tax Rate

0.69%
0.79%
Nashville
📊

Cost of Living Index

100 = national average

112
104
Charlotte
🚗

Avg. Commute

27 min
27 min
Tied
📈

Unemployment Rate

2.9%
3.8%
Nashville
👥

Median Age

34.6 yrs
34.8 yrs
Tied

What This Means For You

💵

Buying Power

A $100,000 salary in Nashville has the same purchasing power as $92,857 in Charlotte — based on each city's cost of living index.

🏠

Housing

Homes in Charlotte cost 18% more (-$80,000 extra). Expect a larger mortgage and down payment.

🏢

Renting

Renting in Nashville saves you $39/month — $468 per year. Median rent: $1,556/mo in Nashville vs $1,595/mo in Charlotte.

📋

Property Taxes

On a median-priced home, Nashville owners pay roughly $3,071/year in property taxes vs $2,884/year in Charlotte. That's a $187 annual difference.

💼

Local Earnings

Median household income is $72,200 in Nashville and $68,600 in Charlotte. Incomes are similar, so cost of living differences matter more.

🚗

Daily Commute

Average commute is 27 minutes in Nashville vs 27 minutes in Charlotte. Commute times are nearly identical.

Salary Equivalence

To maintain the same lifestyle when moving from Nashville to Charlotte, here's the salary you'd need:

Salary in NashvilleEquivalent in CharlotteDifference
$50,000$46,429-$3,571
$75,000$69,643-$5,357
$100,000$92,857-$7,143
$150,000$139,286-$10,714
$200,000$185,714-$14,286

* Calculated using cost of living indices (national average = 100). Does not account for state income tax differences.

Run the Numbers

Related Comparisons

Nashville vs Charlotte: Common Questions

Is Nashville or Charlotte cheaper to live in?

Based on cost of living indices, Charlotte is cheaper overall. Nashville has a COL index of 112 while Charlotte scores 104 (national average = 100).

How do home prices compare between Nashville and Charlotte?

The median home price in Nashville is $445,000 vs $365,000 in Charlotte — a difference of $80,000 (18%).

What salary do I need in Charlotte to match my Nashville income?

Use the salary equivalence table above. For example, a $100K salary in Nashville is equivalent to $92,857 in Charlotte in terms of purchasing power.

Which city has lower property taxes?

Nashville has a lower property tax rate (0.69% vs 0.79%). On a median-priced home, that means paying $2,884/year vs $3,071/year.

Cost of living data sourced from Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, and Zillow Research. Tax rates from Tax Foundation and state revenue agencies. Last updated: March 2025.