Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Auburn, WA and Gastonia, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Gastonia, NC: $2,247 a month against $2,589 in Auburn, WA, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Auburn, WA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

126

Cost of Living Index in Auburn, WA
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Auburn, WA Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Gastonia, NC
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Gastonia, NC Living Index

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Auburn, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,589

/mo nomad

Gastonia, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,247

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Auburn, WA and in Gastonia, NC

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Auburn, WA and in Gastonia, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,589 per month in Auburn, WA vs $2,247 in Gastonia, NC, rent included.

Auburn, WA $2,589
Gastonia, NC $2,247

A couple spends around $4,092 per month in Auburn, WA vs $3,588 in Gastonia, NC, rent included.

Auburn, WA $4,092
Gastonia, NC $3,588

A family of three spends $5,595 per month in Auburn, WA vs $4,928 in Gastonia, NC, rent included.

Auburn, WA $5,595
Gastonia, NC $4,928

Auburn, WA costs about 15% more than Gastonia, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Auburn, WA and Gastonia, NC sit above the global median – Auburn, WA by 91%, Gastonia, NC by 66%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.69 $19.69

$20.86 $20.86

-5.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.2 $96.2

$50.4 $50.4

91.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 $11.71

$5.61 $5.61

108.73%

Cappuccino

$4.46 $4.46

$3.92 $3.92

13.78%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.48 $2.48

-17.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.96 $1.96

2.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$5.06 $5.06

-2.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 $7.18

$7.78 $7.78

-7.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.82 $0.82

8.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 $2.56

$3.00 $3.00

-14.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.88 $2.88

30.21%

Eggs

$3.04 $3.04

$3.71 $3.71

-18.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 $8.58

$11.93 $11.93

-28.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.75 $13.75

$13.80 $13.80

-0.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.56 $18.56

$15.19 $15.19

22.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$4.19 $4.19

13.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.55 $1.55

16.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$4.11 $4.11

-7.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.78 $4.78

-13.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.35 $2.35

32.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.93 $2.93

11.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.46 $2.46

-25.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.73 $1.73

21.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.79 $10.79

$8.71 $8.71

23.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.03 $15.03

$14.93 $14.93

0.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.75 $1.75

-2.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.92 $3.92

-25.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$4.46 $4.46

-20.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 $1.84

$3.16 $3.16

-41.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.2 $50.2

$34.54 $34.54

45.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.00 $1.00

30.00%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$25.6K $25.6K

$28.1K $28.1K

-8.95%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$24.5K $24.5K

$25.3K $25.3K

-3.23%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$216 $216

$181 $181

19.72%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$40.51 $40.51

$64.2 $64.2

-36.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.5 $79.5

$72.3 $72.3

9.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.39 $34.39

$27.97 $27.97

22.95%

Cinema Ticket

$14.77 $14.77

$12.61 $12.61

17.13%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,077 $1,077

$2,595 $2,595

-58.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K $16.8K

$12.2K $12.2K

37.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 $55.7

$35.16 $35.16

58.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.82 $46.82

$50.2 $50.2

-6.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 $78.9

$68.7 $68.7

14.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.3 $81.3

$99.8 $99.8

-18.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,470 $1,470

$1,268 $1,268

15.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,381 $1,381

$1,070 $1,070

29.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 $2,298

$2,880 $2,880

-20.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,844 $2,844

$2,416 $2,416

17.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,401 $2,401

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,317 $2,317

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,864 $6,864

$4,025 $4,025

70.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.2

6.29%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Auburn, WA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Gastonia, NC: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Auburn, WA

$1.4K 53.4%

Gastonia, NC

$1.1K 47.6% 22.6% $312

Groceries & Markets

Auburn, WA

$375 14.5%

Gastonia, NC

$375 16.7% 0% $0.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Auburn, WA

$336 13%

Gastonia, NC

$317 14.1% 5.7% $19

Eating Out

Auburn, WA

$301 11.6%

Gastonia, NC

$289 12.9% 4% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Auburn, WA

$118 4.6%

Gastonia, NC

$114 5.1% 3.3% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Auburn, WA

$64 2.5%

Gastonia, NC

$53 2.4% 16.8% $11

Getting Around

Auburn, WA

$13 * 0.5%

Gastonia, NC

$28 * 1.3% 120% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,470 in Auburn, WA versus $1,268 in Gastonia, NC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 71% higher in Auburn, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Auburn, WA versus $50.0 in Gastonia, NC. Groceries tell a different story – $375 in Auburn, WA vs $375 in Gastonia, NC – so Auburn, WA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Auburn, WA

🇺🇸 Gastonia, NC

🕒 Local time

17:18 5:18 PM

20:18 8:18 PM

3 h ahead of Auburn, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

76,143

69,904

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Auburn, WA Gastonia, NC 3,630 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Auburn, WA
Gastonia, NC

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Auburn, WA vs Gastonia, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Auburn, WA costs about 15% more than Gastonia, NC, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,884 per month in Auburn, WA and $3,371 in Gastonia, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gastonia, NC, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,589 in Auburn, WA and $2,247 in Gastonia, NC. That's a gap of about 15%.

Kindergarten costs $1,077 per month in Auburn, WA and $2,595 in Gastonia, NC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Gastonia, NC, where all-in costs run around $2,247, than in Auburn, WA at $2,589. In Gastonia, NC it covers expenses comfortably, while in Auburn, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gastonia, NC – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Gastonia, NC. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Auburn, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.