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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,544 in Durham, NC versus $2,700 in Slough.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,720 in Durham, NC versus $3,943 in Slough.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,895 in Durham, NC versus $5,187 in Slough.

Living in Durham, NC costs roughly 6% less than in Slough, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Durham, NC 90% above, Slough 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.88 $14.88

$20.50 £15.27

-27.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 $69.0

$86.9 £64.7

-20.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 $9.88

$11.08 £8.25

-10.83%

Cappuccino

$4.58 $4.58

$4.79 £3.57

-4.38%

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

$2.13 $2.13

$2.84 £2.11

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.23 £1.66

-18.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.91 $4.91

$6.09 £4.53

-19.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.69 $6.69

$6.75 £5.02

-0.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.42 £1.06

-38.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 $3.74

$1.31 £0.98

185.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.57 £1.91

40.08%

Eggs

$4.66 $4.66

$3.52 £2.62

32.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.07 $9.07

$9.98 £7.43

-9.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.29 $12.29

$8.26 £6.15

48.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 $15.92

$13.40 £9.98

18.81%

Apples (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$3.10 £2.31

80.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.50 £1.12

-18.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.01 £2.24

25.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.27 £2.44

8.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.45 £1.08

73.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.58 £1.17

70.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.98 £0.73

103.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.51 £1.12

31.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.86 $9.86

$20.74 £15.45

-52.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.75 $14.75

$9.49 £7.06

55.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.28 £1.70

-21.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 $4.23

$2.69 £2.00

57.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$5.93 £4.42

-66.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.75 $24.75

$90.6 £67.5

-72.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 $2.01

$6.22 £4.63

-67.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.39 £1.04

14.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.39 $22.39

$14.93 £11.12

49.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.89 £1.41

-53.97%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$39.1K £29.2K

-28.62%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$42.2K £31.4K

-39.64%

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

$157 $157

$289 £215

-45.81%

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

$53.0 $53.0

$18.67 £13.91

183.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.7 $74.7

$40.25 £29.98

85.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.40 $39.40

$35.57 £26.49

10.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.44 £2.56

Cinema Ticket

$12.11 $12.11

$16.56 £12.33

-26.87%

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

$1,269 $1,269

$1,893 £1,410

-32.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$22.8K £17.0K

36.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 $52.1

$84.0 £62.5

-37.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.19 $35.19

$41.32 £30.78

-14.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 $77.0

$89.4 £66.6

-13.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$99.3 £74.0

20.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,841 $1,841

$1,617 £1,205

13.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 $1,430

$1,416 £1,055

0.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,534 $2,534

$3,031 £2,258

-16.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 $2,279

$2,472 £1,841

-7.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,749 $2,749

$27.3K £20.3K

-89.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,718 $2,718

$20.4K £15.2K

-86.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,478 $4,478

$2,937 £2,187

52.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

5.45

20.00%

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

Last update for Durham, NC: June 1, 2026

Last update for Slough: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,841 in Durham, NC and $1,617 in Slough. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham, NC pays 52% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Durham, NC vs $87.0 in Slough. Groceries flip the comparison at $375 vs $281, with Slough 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 Slough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durham, NC wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Slough. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Durham, NC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Durham, NC pays 52% more on average, 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: $1,841 in Durham, NC versus $1,617 in Slough. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Durham, NC runs roughly 266% less than in Slough. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,269 in Durham, NC versus $1,893 in Slough. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Durham, NC is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Durham, NC delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,544 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Durham, NC hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Durham, NC and Slough 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 Durham, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Slough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.