Cost of living in Memphis research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Memphis is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Tennessee, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Memphis is 84, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Memphis is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Memphis ranks as the #19 cheapest in Tennessee out of 109.
Memphis ranks as the #406 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Memphis is $143,247.
The median income in Memphis is $51,211.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Memphis has an overall cost of living index of 84, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Tennessee, Memphis has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Tennessee's index of 90.
The standard of living in Memphis ranks as #19 most affordable out of the 109 places we measured in Tennessee. By definition, that implies Memphis ranks as the #90 most expensive place in the Volunteer State.
For more reading on life in Memphis, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Memphis. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Memphis is 94.
The Groceries index in Memphis is 99.
The Health index in Memphis is 85.
The Housing index in Memphis is 71.
The Transportation index in Memphis is 87.
The Utilities index in Memphis is 90.
| Living Expense | Memphis | Tennessee | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 84 | 90 | 100 | |
| Services | 94 | 93 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 99 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 85 | 87 | 100 | |
| Housing | 71 | 81 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 87 | 89 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 90 | 95 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Tennessee, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Memphis is $143,247.
The Median Rent in Memphis is $1,123.
The Median Income in Memphis is $51,211.
The Home Value To Income in Memphis is 2.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Memphis is 0.26x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Memphis. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Bartlett, TN has a cost of living index of 99, 1.2x Memphis.
Southaven, MS has a cost of living index of 96, 1.1x Memphis.
Collierville, TN has a cost of living index of 114, 1.4x Memphis.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Memphis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bartlett, TN | 56,998 | 99 | 1.2x |
| Southaven, MS | 55,531 | 96 | 1.1x |
| Collierville, TN | 51,212 | 114 | 1.4x |
| Olive Branch, MS | 46,538 | 97 | 1.2x |
| Germantown, TN | 40,812 | 115 | 1.4x |
| Horn Lake, MS | 26,622 | 86 | 1.0x |
| West Memphis, AR | 24,147 | 81 | 1.0x |
| Hernando, MS | 17,580 | 102 | 1.2x |
| Lakeland, TN | 14,068 | 107 | 1.3x |
| Marion, AR | 13,641 | 93 | 1.1x |