Popular cities
Los Angeles vs Nashville cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ธ Los Angeles
๐บ๐ธ Nashville
At a glance
- Where Nashville is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (57%โ), Half-day tour (33%โ), Studio rent (month) (31%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: safety โ Los Angeles 3 vs Nashville 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Los Angeles | Nashville | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 18$18 | $ 18$18 | similar |
| Street food1 item | $ 11$11 | $ 12$12 | Los Angeles โ8% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 48$48 | $ 40$40 | Nashville โ17% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 5.5$5.5 | $ 6$6 | Los Angeles โ8% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 9$9 | $ 7.5$7.5 | Nashville โ17% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 17$17 | $ 14$14 | Nashville โ18% |
| Bottled water | $ 2$2 | $ 2$2 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 3$3 | $ 2.8$2.8 | Nashville โ7% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 18$18 | $ 14$14 | Nashville โ22% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 10$10 | $ 9$9 | Nashville โ10% |
| Transitone ride | $ 1.75$1.75 | $ 2$2 | Los Angeles โ12% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 35$35 | $ 15$15 | Nashville โ57% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 200$200 | $ 180$180 | Nashville โ10% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 2,100$2,100 | $ 1,450$1,450 | Nashville โ31% |
| Laundry | $ 4$4 | $ 4$4 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 26$26 | $ 25$25 | similar |
| Haircutcut | $ 30$30 | $ 27$27 | Nashville โ10% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 75$75 | $ 85$85 | Los Angeles โ12% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 75$75 | $ 50$50 | Nashville โ33% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 28$28 | $ 32$32 | Los Angeles โ12% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Los Angeles or Nashville?
Nashville is 17% cheaper than Los Angeles. Daily budget $368 vs $327; a month $7,222 vs $5,558.
Which is easier to travel, Los Angeles or Nashville?
About the same: Los Angeles 2.0/5, Nashville 1.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Los Angeles and Nashville?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Los Angeles is about $7,222 and Nashville about $5,558 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.