Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cincinnati, OH and Durham, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Cincinnati, OH: $2,284 a month against $2,423 in Durham, NC, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Durham, NC outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

109

Cost of Living Index in Cincinnati, OH
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Cincinnati, OH Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Durham, NC
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Durham, NC Living Index

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Cincinnati, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,284

/mo nomad

Durham, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,423

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cincinnati, OH and in Durham, NC

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

A single person spends $2,284 per month in Cincinnati, OH vs $2,423 in Durham, NC, rent included.

Cincinnati, OH $2,284
Durham, NC $2,423

A couple spends around $3,409 per month in Cincinnati, OH vs $3,700 in Durham, NC, rent included.

Cincinnati, OH $3,409
Durham, NC $3,700

A family of three spends $4,534 per month in Cincinnati, OH vs $4,978 in Durham, NC, rent included.

Cincinnati, OH $4,534
Durham, NC $4,978

Cincinnati, OH is about 6% cheaper than Durham, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cincinnati, OH and Durham, NC sit above the global median – Cincinnati, OH by 68%, Durham, NC by 78%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.04 $15.04

$15.31 $15.31

-1.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 $50.3

$106 $106

-52.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 $10.03

$9.96 $9.96

0.70%

Cappuccino

$5.07 $5.07

$4.79 $4.79

5.85%

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

$2.31 $2.31

$3.02 $3.02

-23.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.10 $2.10

-20.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.59 $5.59

$6.18 $6.18

-9.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.60 $7.60

$7.12 $7.12

6.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.13 $1.13

-22.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 $3.24

$4.70 $4.70

-31.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$4.52 $4.52

-8.41%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$3.45 $3.45

18.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 $13.06

$19.01 $19.01

-31.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.07 $11.07

$16.98 $16.98

-34.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.30 $16.30

$17.05 $17.05

-4.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.71 $5.71

$5.67 $5.67

0.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.83 $1.83

-9.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.90 $3.90

12.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$4.58 $4.58

3.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.27 $2.27

12.78%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.90 $3.90

-19.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.75 $2.75

-26.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.96 $1.96

-2.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.75 $9.75

$8.57 $8.57

13.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$15.23 $15.23

-1.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.52 $1.52

36.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$4.01 $4.01

-26.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 $2.72

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 $107

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 $3.82

$1.96 $1.96

94.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.60 $0.60

108.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.56 $24.56

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.01 $1.01

2.97%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$30.9K $30.9K

16.05%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.0K $26.0K

0.90%

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

$151 $151

$226 $226

-33.04%

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

$76.8 $76.8

$56.8 $56.8

35.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 $71.6

$71.5 $71.5

0.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.11 $34.11

$51.5 $51.5

-33.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.79 $13.79

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 $15.29

$12.36 $12.36

23.71%

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

$1,341 $1,341

$1,567 $1,567

-14.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K $19.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.25 $45.25

$45.29 $45.29

-0.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.81 $44.81

$35.33 $35.33

26.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.2 $83.2

$90.7 $90.7

-8.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$134 $134

-17.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 $1,505

$1,502 $1,502

0.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 $1,005

$1,118 $1,118

-10.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,024 $3,024

$2,272 $2,272

33.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,784 $1,784

$1,970 $1,970

-9.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,610 $3,610

$3,463 $3,463

4.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,016 $2,016

$2,420 $2,420

-16.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,191 $4,191

$4,786 $4,786

-12.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.81

-3.23%

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

Last update for Cincinnati, OH: October 26, 2026

Last update for Durham, NC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cincinnati, OH

$1K 44%

Durham, NC

$1.1K 46.2% 11.2% $112

Groceries & Markets

Cincinnati, OH

$389 17%

Durham, NC

$456 18.8% 17.4% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cincinnati, OH

$300 13.1%

Durham, NC

$355 14.6% 18.2% $55

Eating Out

Cincinnati, OH

$270 11.8%

Durham, NC

$276 11.4% 1.9% $5.3

Getting Around

Cincinnati, OH

$128 5.6%

Durham, NC

$5 * 0.2% 96.1% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Cincinnati, OH

$127 5.6%

Durham, NC

$137 5.7% 7.8% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Cincinnati, OH

$65 2.8%

Durham, NC

$76 3.2% 17.8% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,505 in Cincinnati, OH versus $1,502 in Durham, 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 14% higher in Durham, NC. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Cincinnati, OH versus $106 in Durham, NC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $456 – making Cincinnati, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cincinnati, OH

🇺🇸 Durham, NC

🕒 Local time

11:44 11:44 AM

Same time as Cincinnati, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

298,800

283,506

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cincinnati, OH Durham, NC 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cincinnati, OH
Durham, 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

Cincinnati, OH vs Durham, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,284 in Cincinnati, OH, $2,423 in Durham, NC – roughly 6% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,426 per month in Cincinnati, OH and $3,634 in Durham, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,505 in Cincinnati, OH and $1,502 in Durham, NC. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Cincinnati, OH and $106 in Durham, NC. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Durham, NC, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,284 in Cincinnati, OH and $2,423 in Durham, NC, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Durham, NC has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,284 in Cincinnati, OH to $2,423 in Durham, NC. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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