Memphis vs Oklahoma City
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Memphis edges it, 64 to 63, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Memphis is stronger on nothing outright; Oklahoma City on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Blues and barbecue on the Mississippi, with very low rents
Full Memphis profile →Hotels in the United States →Cheap, sprawling capital with a rebuilt downtown and Thunder basketball
Full Oklahoma City profile →Hotels in the United States →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Memphis | Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 17 | 17 |
| Safety | 51 | 51 |
| Healthcare | 81 | 81 |
| Internet | 75 | 78 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 61 | 61 |
| Getting there & around | 41 ✓ | 37 |
| Climate | 58 ✓ | 50 |
| Air quality | 92 | 93 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 95 | 95 |
Cost
| Metric | Memphis | Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Memphis | Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 5.76 | 5.76 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 60.3 | 60.3 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 88 | 88 |
| Life expectancy | 76.4 yrs | 76.4 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Memphis | Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 56.2 Mbps | 67.6 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 11.1 Mbps | 11.9 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Memphis | Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | home country | home country |
| Entry, EU passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
| Entry, UK passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Memphis | Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 36 ✓ | 26 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Memphis | Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 7 ✓ | 6 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 8.4 µg/m³ | 8 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Memphis or Oklahoma City?
- Oklahoma City is cheaper: about $3,000 per month versus $3,000 for one person.
- Is Memphis or Oklahoma City safer?
- Memphis scores higher on safety (51 vs 51), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Memphis or Oklahoma City?
- Oklahoma City: a measured median of 67.6 Mbps versus 56.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Memphis vs Birmingham (Alabama)
- Memphis vs Rincón (Puerto Rico)
- Oklahoma City vs San Luis Obispo
- Oklahoma City vs Pensacola
- All comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.