Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham, NC and Mons

For one person, living is cheaper in Mons: $1,893 a month against $2,554 in Durham, NC, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Durham, NC
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Durham, NC Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Mons
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Mons Living Index

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Durham, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,554

/mo nomad

Mons

🇧🇪 Belgium

$1,893

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Durham, NC and in Mons

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,554 in Durham, NC versus $1,893 in Mons.

Durham, NC $2,554
Mons $1,893

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,914 in Durham, NC versus $2,798 in Mons.

Durham, NC $3,914
Mons $2,798

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,274 in Durham, NC versus $3,704 in Mons.

Durham, NC $5,274
Mons $3,704

Living in Durham, NC is roughly 35% more expensive than in Mons, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Durham, NC 89% above, Mons 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.60 $15.60

$17.03 €15.15

-8.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 $103

$82.4 €73.3

25.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.06 $10.06

$10.05 €8.94

0.10%

Cappuccino

$4.61 $4.61

$2.51 €2.23

83.67%

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

$3.15 $3.15

$2.74 €2.44

14.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.70 €1.51

21.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$3.87 €3.44

51.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 $6.96

$4.30 €3.83

61.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.16 €1.03

1.72%

White Bread (500g)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.20 €1.96

125.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$2.20 €1.96

102.27%

Eggs

$3.48 $3.48

$4.10 €3.64

-15.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.27 $19.27

$18.83 €16.75

2.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.78 $16.78

$12.42 €11.05

35.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.16 $17.16

$19.48 €17.33

-11.91%

Apples (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$2.73 €2.43

109.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.36 €2.10

-21.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$2.60 €2.31

44.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$2.79 €2.48

64.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.13 €1.89

7.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$1.16 €1.03

235.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.31 €1.17

106.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.07 €0.95

84.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.98 $7.98

$9.66 €8.59

-17.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.09 $15.09

$5.65 €5.02

167.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.90 €1.69

-22.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 $4.00

$1.81 €1.61

120.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 $1.52

$3.04 €2.71

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.28 $25.28

$41.67 €37.06

-39.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 $1.96

$10.95 €9.74

-82.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 $0.60

$2.85 €2.54

-78.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.21 €22.42

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.83 €1.63

-47.54%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$35.7K €31.7K

-1.81%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$33.5K €29.8K

-25.99%

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

$224 $224

$223 €198

0.39%

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

$56.2 $56.2

$20.52 €18.25

173.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.9 $70.9

$45.91 €40.84

54.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.70 $49.70

$26.32 €23.41

88.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.37 €16.34

Cinema Ticket

$13.19 $13.19

$12.18 €10.84

8.29%

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

$1,542 $1,542

$552 €491

179.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K €18.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.17 $44.17

$106 €94.7

-58.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.03 $34.03

$46.28 €41.17

-26.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 $92.3

$108 €96.3

-14.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$147 €131

-8.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 $1,710

$686 €610

149.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 $1,220

$709 €630

72.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 $2,543

$1,031 €917

146.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,210 $2,210

$996 €886

121.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,757 $2,757

$4,094 €3,641

-32.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,680 $2,680

$2,906 €2,585

-7.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,585 $4,585

$2,796 €2,487

63.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

3.2

112.81%

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

Last update for Durham, NC: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mons: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Durham, NC

$1.2K 47.8%

Mons

$709 37.4% 41.9% $512

Groceries & Markets

Durham, NC

$459 18%

Mons

$339 17.9% 26.1% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durham, NC

$351 13.7%

Mons

$290 15.3% 17.5% $62

Eating Out

Durham, NC

$274 10.7%

Mons

$242 12.8% 11.7% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Durham, NC

$137 5.4%

Mons

$184 9.7% 33.6% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Durham, NC

$76 3%

Mons

$51 2.7% 33.4% $25

Getting Around

Durham, NC

$36 1.4%

Mons

$79 4.2% 118% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,710 in Durham, NC and $686 in Mons. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham, NC pays 64% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $103 in Durham, NC vs $82.0 in Mons for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $339 per month, with Mons cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Durham, NC

🇧🇪 Mons

🕒 Local time

11:51 11:51 AM

17:51 5:51 PM

6 h ahead of Durham, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

283,506

92,721

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Durham, NC Mons 6,540 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Durham, NC
Mons

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

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

Mons wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Durham, NC. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mons the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 64% higher in Durham, 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: $1,710 in Durham, NC versus $686 in Mons. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mons runs roughly 65% less than in Durham, NC. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,542 in Durham, NC versus $552 in Mons. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,893 in Mons versus $2,554 in Durham, NC, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mons but tight or insufficient in Durham, NC. The gap between the two cities makes Mons the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mons delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,893 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mons hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Durham, NC and Mons are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mons gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Durham, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.