Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hickory, NC and Richmond, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Hickory, NC: $2,078 a month against $2,888 in Richmond, VA, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Hickory, NC
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Hickory, NC Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Richmond, VA
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Richmond, VA Living Index

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Hickory, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,078

/mo nomad

Richmond, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,888

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hickory, NC and in Richmond, VA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,078 in Hickory, NC versus $2,888 in Richmond, VA.

Hickory, NC $2,078
Richmond, VA $2,888

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,962 in Hickory, NC versus $4,184 in Richmond, VA.

Hickory, NC $2,962
Richmond, VA $4,184

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,847 in Hickory, NC versus $5,480 in Richmond, VA.

Hickory, NC $3,847
Richmond, VA $5,480

Living in Hickory, NC costs roughly 28% less than in Richmond, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hickory, NC 53% above, Richmond, VA 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.01 $15.01

$24.80 $24.80

-39.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 $61.7

$98.6 $98.6

-37.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 $11.03

$13.56 $13.56

-18.66%

Cappuccino

$5.00 $5.00

$5.99 $5.99

-16.53%

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

$2.23 $2.23

$2.74 $2.74

-18.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 $1.57

$2.36 $2.36

-33.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.46 $5.46

$7.19 $7.19

-24.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 $6.79

$8.16 $8.16

-16.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.15 $1.15

-26.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 $3.65

$4.20 $4.20

-13.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$3.83 $3.83

-18.54%

Eggs

$3.43 $3.43

$6.38 $6.38

-46.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 $10.74

$9.70 $9.70

10.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 $8.98

$11.42 $11.42

-21.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.00 $17.00

$20.96 $20.96

-18.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$4.83 $4.83

-17.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.42 $1.42

23.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.94 $3.94

-40.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$4.33 $4.33

-59.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.86 $2.86

-16.78%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.43 $2.43

33.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.66 $2.66

-32.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.07 $2.07

1.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.00 $9.00

$9.86 $9.86

-8.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 $14.93

$13.16 $13.16

13.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.26 $2.26

-26.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$4.53 $4.53

-35.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.59 $44.59

$29.90 $29.90

49.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.57 $2.57

-22.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.58 $1.58

43.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.72 $17.72

$22.48 $22.48

-21.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.01 $1.01

-18.81%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$27.3K $27.3K

-1.16%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$25.7K $25.7K

2.10%

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

$141 $141

$209 $209

-32.66%

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

$59.9 $59.9

$61.9 $61.9

-3.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 $54.1

$70.8 $70.8

-23.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.46 $27.46

$56.4 $56.4

-51.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.11 $20.11

Cinema Ticket

$14.27 $14.27

$15.19 $15.19

-6.06%

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

$354 $354

$1,245 $1,245

-71.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$31.0K $31.0K

-18.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.75 $40.75

$94.4 $94.4

-56.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.24 $20.24

$46.32 $46.32

-56.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.51 $39.51

$101 $101

-60.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.94 $49.94

$117 $117

-57.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 $1,299

$1,655 $1,655

-21.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 $1,030

$1,465 $1,465

-29.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 $1,688

$2,726 $2,726

-38.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 $1,522

$2,225 $2,225

-31.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,141 $2,141

$3,132 $3,132

-31.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,163 $2,163

$2,846 $2,846

-23.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,526 $4,526

$4,325 $4,325

4.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.53

6.49

-14.79%

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

Last update for Hickory, NC: October 27, 2026

Last update for Richmond, VA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hickory, NC

$1K 49.6%

Richmond, VA

$1.5K 50.7% 42.3% $435

Groceries & Markets

Hickory, NC

$338 16.3%

Richmond, VA

$409 14.2% 21% $71

Eating Out

Hickory, NC

$269 13%

Richmond, VA

$384 13.3% 42.5% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hickory, NC

$255 12.3%

Richmond, VA

$342 11.8% 34.1% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Hickory, NC

$68 3.3%

Richmond, VA

$161 5.6% 138% $94

Getting Around

Hickory, NC

$63 3%

Richmond, VA

$40 * 1.4% 35.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Hickory, NC

$56 2.7%

Richmond, VA

$87 3% 55% $31

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 $1,299 in Hickory, NC and $1,655 in Richmond, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hickory, NC pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in Hickory, NC vs $99 in Richmond, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 vs $409 per month, with Hickory, NC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hickory, NC

🇺🇸 Richmond, VA

🕒 Local time

09:44 9:44 AM

Same time as Hickory, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,374

226,610

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Hickory, NC Richmond, VA 400 km

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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

Hickory, NC vs Richmond, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hickory, NC and Richmond, VA differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($2,078 vs $2,888 including rent). Hickory, NC is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Hickory, 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: $1,299 in Hickory, NC versus $1,655 in Richmond, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Hickory, NC – a meal for two runs $62 versus $99 in Richmond, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,078 per month in Hickory, NC versus $2,888 in Richmond, VA – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

For families, Hickory, NC is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Richmond, VA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.