Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chapel Hill, NC and Owensboro, KY

For one person, living is cheaper in Owensboro, KY: $1,977 a month against $2,851 in Chapel Hill, NC, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Chapel Hill, NC
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Chapel Hill, NC Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Owensboro, KY
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Owensboro, KY Living Index

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Chapel Hill, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,851

/mo nomad

Owensboro, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$1,977

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chapel Hill, NC and in Owensboro, KY

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,851 in Chapel Hill, NC versus $1,977 in Owensboro, KY.

Chapel Hill, NC $2,851
Owensboro, KY $1,977

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,314 in Chapel Hill, NC versus $2,919 in Owensboro, KY.

Chapel Hill, NC $4,314
Owensboro, KY $2,919

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,777 in Chapel Hill, NC versus $3,861 in Owensboro, KY.

Chapel Hill, NC $5,777
Owensboro, KY $3,861

Living in Chapel Hill, NC is roughly 44% more expensive than in Owensboro, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chapel Hill, NC 109% above, Owensboro, KY 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 $18.13

$19.39 $19.39

-6.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 $91.5

$59.8 $59.8

52.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.98 $9.98

$9.82 $9.82

1.63%

Cappuccino

$4.61 $4.61

$5.53 $5.53

-16.64%

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

$2.83 $2.83

$1.88 $1.88

50.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.35 $1.35

49.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 $5.83

$3.99 $3.99

46.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$4.96 $4.96

38.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$0.79 $0.79

49.37%

White Bread (500g)

$4.58 $4.58

$3.24 $3.24

41.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.64 $9.64

$4.28 $4.28

125.23%

Eggs

$5.46 $5.46

$3.02 $3.02

80.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.41 $18.41

$6.67 $6.67

176.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.59 $13.59

$11.01 $11.01

23.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.26 $27.26

$12.10 $12.10

125.29%

Apples (1kg)

$7.75 $7.75

$4.34 $4.34

78.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.24 $1.24

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.87 $6.87

$2.69 $2.69

155.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.02 $6.02

$3.56 $3.56

69.10%

Potato (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$2.27 $2.27

106.17%

Onion (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.17 $2.17

88.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.06 $2.06

32.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.51 $1.51

31.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.89 $8.89

$8.73 $8.73

1.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 $15.16

$7.85 $7.85

93.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.86 $1.86

-12.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$4.94 $4.94

-21.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.58 $30.58

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 $2.04

$5.54 $5.54

-63.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.04 $1.04

117.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.82 $14.82

$18.13 $18.13

-18.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.86 $0.86

16.28%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$27.9K $27.9K

8.23%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$27.2K $27.2K

-3.41%

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

$221 $221

$172 $172

28.83%

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

$51.5 $51.5

$60.9 $60.9

-15.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$59.7 $59.7

16.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.4 $66.4

$49.91 $49.91

32.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.17 $10.17

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 $13.72

$13.19 $13.19

4.02%

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

$1,380 $1,380

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,932 $9,932

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.35 $38.35

$74.5 $74.5

-48.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.64 $31.64

$43.29 $43.29

-26.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$68.0 $68.0

50.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$89.3 $89.3

51.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,015 $2,015

$844 $844

138.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,436 $1,436

$834 $834

72.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,455 $3,455

$1,441 $1,441

139.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,574 $2,574

$1,364 $1,364

88.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,195 $3,195

$1,744 $1,744

83.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 $2,512

$1,738 $1,738

44.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,481 $5,481

$3,362 $3,362

63.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

6.55

1.98%

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

Last update for Chapel Hill, NC: October 26, 2026

Last update for Owensboro, KY: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chapel Hill, NC

$1.4K 50.4%

Owensboro, KY

$834 42.2% 41.9% $602

Groceries & Markets

Chapel Hill, NC

$534 18.7%

Owensboro, KY

$311 15.7% 41.7% $223

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chapel Hill, NC

$343 12%

Owensboro, KY

$293 14.8% 14.7% $50

Eating Out

Chapel Hill, NC

$293 10.3%

Owensboro, KY

$294 14.9% 0.4% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Chapel Hill, NC

$138 4.9%

Owensboro, KY

$124 6.3% 10.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Chapel Hill, NC

$94 3.3%

Owensboro, KY

$76 3.9% 18.7% $17

Getting Around

Chapel Hill, NC

$13 * 0.5%

Owensboro, KY

$45 2.3% 240% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,015 in Chapel Hill, NC and $844 in Owensboro, KY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chapel Hill, NC pays 63% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $91 in Chapel Hill, NC vs $60 in Owensboro, KY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $534 vs $311 per month, with Owensboro, KY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chapel Hill, NC

🇺🇸 Owensboro, KY

🕒 Local time

18:29 6:29 PM

17:29 5:29 PM

1 h behind Chapel Hill, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

61,960

55,525

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chapel Hill, NC Owensboro, KY 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chapel Hill, NC
Owensboro, KY

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

Chapel Hill, NC vs Owensboro, KY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Owensboro, KY wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Chapel Hill, NC. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Owensboro, KY the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 63% higher in Chapel Hill, NC, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,015 in Chapel Hill, NC versus $844 in Owensboro, KY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,851 per month in Chapel Hill, NC versus $1,977 in Owensboro, KY – Owensboro, KY is about 31% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Chapel Hill, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Owensboro, KY wins on affordability, Chapel Hill, NC on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.