Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham, NC and Mons Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham, NC and Mons

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,620 in Durham, NC versus $1,919 in Mons.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,769 in Durham, NC versus $2,861 in Mons.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,918 in Durham, NC versus $3,803 in Mons.

Living in Durham, NC is roughly 37% more expensive than in Mons, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Durham, NC 96% above, Mons 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 $14.82

$17.12 €14.98

-13.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 $70.9

$87.0 €76.1

-18.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.12 $10.12

$10.62 €9.29

-4.71%

Cappuccino

$4.66 $4.66

$3.72 €3.26

25.27%

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

$2.23 $2.23

$2.71 €2.37

-17.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.53 €2.22

-27.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 $5.03

$4.51 €3.95

11.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.32 $6.32

$4.70 €4.11

34.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.30 €1.14

-32.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.86 $3.86

$2.26 €1.98

70.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.38 €2.09

57.56%

Eggs

$4.50 $4.50

$4.08 €3.57

10.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.02 $9.02

$17.71 €15.49

-49.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.57 $12.57

$11.94 €10.45

5.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.51 $15.51

$18.52 €16.21

-16.25%

Apples (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$2.85 €2.49

102.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$2.37 €2.07

-50.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.74 €2.40

42.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 $3.42

$3.14 €2.74

8.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.92 €1.68

31.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.07 €1.81

29.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.31 €1.15

50.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.91 €0.79

116.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$10.11 €8.84

-2.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 $15.16

$5.52 €4.83

174.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.92 €1.68

-11.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 $4.24

$2.92 €2.56

45.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.82 €2.47

-30.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.19 $25.19

$42.11 €36.84

-40.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$11.05 €9.66

-81.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$2.68 €2.35

-41.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.40 $22.40

$53.8 €47.07

-58.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.92 €1.68

-57.81%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$33.0K €28.9K

-14.91%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$37.6K €32.9K

-30.71%

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

$162 $162

$204 €178

-20.75%

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

$54.4 $54.4

$23.10 €20.21

135.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.8 $75.8

$48.98 €42.85

54.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.09 $40.09

$27.10 €23.71

47.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.93 €14.81

Cinema Ticket

$12.04 $12.04

$12.48 €10.92

-3.53%

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

$1,267 $1,267

$587 €513

115.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.7K $30.7K

$19.2K €16.8K

60.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 $52.1

$111 €96.9

-52.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.92 $34.92

$54.5 €47.70

-35.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 $76.6

$106 €93.0

-27.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$150 €131

-20.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,882 $1,882

$646 €565

191.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,453 $1,453

$722 €632

101.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 $2,529

$1,123 €982

125.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,332 $2,332

$1,063 €930

119.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,683 $2,683

$4,052 €3,545

-33.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,726 $2,726

$2,953 €2,584

-7.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,523 $4,523

$2,938 €2,571

53.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

3.23

102.48%

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

Last update for Durham, NC: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mons: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,882 in Durham, NC and $646 in Mons. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham, NC pays 54% 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: $71.0 in Durham, NC vs $87.0 in Mons. Groceries flip the comparison at $377 vs $338, with Mons cheaper for home cooking.

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 37% 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 54% 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: $1,882 in Durham, NC versus $646 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 67% less than in Durham, NC. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,267 in Durham, NC versus $587 in Mons. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,919 in Mons versus $2,620 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 $1,919 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 37% less than in Durham, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.