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Nashville vs Sydney

Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.

Nashville, TN vs Sydney, AU at a glance — Sydney, AU is 31% more expensive than Nashville, TN overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $2,200/mo versus $1,550/mo. Top income tax: 45% vs 37%.

$/ year

To keep the same standard of living in Sydney, AU, you'd need

$98,033 / year

Sydney, AU is 31% more expensive overall

Category breakdown (Sydney, AU vs Nashville, TN)

  • Housing+50%
  • Food & groceries+26%
  • Transport+11%
  • Utilities+24%
  • Healthcare+4%
  • Goods & services+26%

◎ How Nashville, TN and Sydney, AU compare

HousingFood & groceriesTransportUtilitiesHealthcareGoods & services
Nashville, TNSydney, AU

Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.

▤ Full comparison

Nashville, TNSydney, AU
Cost of living
Overall cost index98128
Housing108162
Food91115
Transport95105
Utilities89110
Healthcare9195
Goods & services95120
Housing
Rent, 1-bed centre$1,550/mo$2,200/mo
Rent, 1-bed outside$1,250/mo$1,650/mo
Rent, 3-bed centre$2,800/mo$4,200/mo
Buy price / m² centre$4,500$12,000
Money & purchasing power
$1,000 goes as far as$1,024$784
Inexpensive meal$17$18
Monthly transit pass$88$130
Taxes
Income tax (top rate)37%45%
VAT / sales tax0%10%
Social security (employee)7.7%—
Corporate tax21%30%
Capital gains20%—
Economy & salaries
Avg net salary$4,300/mo$3,900/mo
Minimum wage$1,257/mo✓$2,600/mo
GDP per capita$90,027✓$65,130✓
Inflation (annual)—2.9%✓
Work & digital nomad
Digital-nomad visaNoNo
English proficiencyNativeNative
Coworking spaces4090
Time zoneUTC-6UTC+10
Quality of life
Quality of life (overall)5774
Safety index5574
Healthcare index7885
Pollution index4030
Internet speed200 Mbps90 Mbps
Walkability3078
Public transport3080
Family-friendly6476
Tap waterSafe to drinkSafe to drink
Health insurance$450/mo—
Life expectancy79 yr✓83 yr✓
LGBTQ+ acceptanceHighHigh
Climate
January avg+4 °C+23 °C
July avg+27 °C+13 °C
Sunny days / year208236
Rainfall / year1,200 mm1,210 mm
Connectivity
Flight to nearest hub1.5 h3 h

Taxes & Economy & salaries: United States vs Australia. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.

✓ = official statistics (US DOL (federal), World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →

Cost of living: Nashville vs Sydney — in your currency

NashvilleSydney
1-bed rent, city centre$1,550$2,200
1-bed rent, outside centre$1,250$1,650
Inexpensive meal$17$18
Monthly transit pass$88$130
Utilities (monthly)$160$150

Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).

Good to know before you move to Nashville

Live-music capital with no state income tax and a hot job market — booming, and car-centric.

Currency
US dollar ($ USD)
Languages
English
Time zone
UTC-6
Internet
200 Mbps
English
Native language
Safety
55/100
Climate
❄ 4°C · ☀ 27°C · 208 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
A/B · 120V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
The Gulch · East Nashville · Germantown

Good to know before you move to Sydney

Beaches, sunshine and a high quality of life — for a price, with housing among the least affordable in the developed world.

Currency
Australian dollar ($ AUD)
Languages
English
Time zone
UTC+10
Internet
90 Mbps
English
Native language
Safety
74/100
Climate
❄ 23°C · ☀ 13°C · 236 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
I · 230V
Driving
Left-hand side
Popular areas
Surry Hills · Bondi · Newtown

? Frequently asked questions

Moving from Nashville to Sydney: cheaper or more expensive?

Moving from Nashville to Sydney, your cost of living will be roughly 31% more expensive. Sydney’s cost-of-living index is 128 versus 98 for Nashville (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.

Is Nashville cheaper than Sydney?

Sydney is about 31% more expensive than Nashville overall — its cost-of-living index is 128 versus 98 for Nashville.

Which is more expensive, Nashville or Sydney?

Sydney is more expensive than Nashville. Its cost-of-living index is 128 vs 98 (US = 100) — about 31% higher.

Is rent cheaper in Nashville or Sydney?

Rent is cheaper in Nashville — about $1,550/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $2,200 in Sydney.

How much do you need to earn in Sydney to live like in Nashville?

To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Nashville is worth about $98,033 in Sydney. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.

Which has lower taxes, Nashville or Sydney?

United States has the lower top income-tax rate — 37% versus 45% in Australia.

◷ More comparisons from Nashville

How we calculate these figures →

Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.