Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mesa, AZ and Raleigh, NC

For one person, living costs are similar in Mesa, AZ and in Raleigh, NC: $2,573 and $2,625 a month, rent and utilities included.

126

Cost of Living Index in Mesa, AZ
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Mesa, AZ Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Raleigh, NC
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Raleigh, NC Living Index

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Mesa, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,573

/mo nomad

Raleigh, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mesa, AZ and in Raleigh, NC

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

A single person spends $2,573 per month in Mesa, AZ vs $2,625 in Raleigh, NC, rent included.

Mesa, AZ $2,573
Raleigh, NC $2,625

A couple spends around $3,821 per month in Mesa, AZ vs $3,845 in Raleigh, NC, rent included.

Mesa, AZ $3,821
Raleigh, NC $3,845

A family of three spends $5,069 per month in Mesa, AZ vs $5,066 in Raleigh, NC, rent included.

Mesa, AZ $5,069
Raleigh, NC $5,066

Mesa, AZ is about 2% cheaper than Raleigh, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mesa, AZ and Raleigh, NC sit above the global median – Mesa, AZ by 90%, Raleigh, NC by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.81 $19.81

$22.23 $22.23

-10.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.1 $79.1

$91.3 $91.3

-13.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.37 $13.37

$11.32 $11.32

18.11%

Cappuccino

$5.96 $5.96

$5.65 $5.65

5.49%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$2.94 $2.94

-9.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.14 $2.14

1.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 $5.95

$5.88 $5.88

1.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.48 $7.48

$6.94 $6.94

7.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.88 $0.88

6.82%

White Bread (500g)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.71 $3.71

9.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$3.00 $3.00

98.33%

Eggs

$4.61 $4.61

$4.56 $4.56

1.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.64 $13.64

$15.48 $15.48

-11.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.63 $13.63

$9.73 $9.73

40.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 $17.03

$17.61 $17.61

-3.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$6.62 $6.62

-17.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.29 $1.29

44.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$4.50 $4.50

-7.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$5.83 $5.83

-9.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.02 $3.02

10.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.52 $3.52

-14.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 $2.17

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.24 $2.24

16.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.95 $10.95

$8.57 $8.57

27.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.24 $14.24

$14.95 $14.95

-4.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.14 $2.14

16.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.73 $2.73

26.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.22 $1.22

108.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.80 $34.80

$39.88 $39.88

-12.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.97 $2.97

-6.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.83 $1.83

-26.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.96 $35.96

$18.04 $18.04

99.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.02 $1.02

12.75%

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

$36.9K $36.9K

$31.3K $31.3K

17.72%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$25.8K $25.8K

2.26%

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

$234 $234

$188 $188

24.25%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$57.8 $57.8

8.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.7 $72.7

$68.6 $68.6

5.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.52 $41.52

$37.64 $37.64

10.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.12 $11.12

$4.87 $4.87

128.34%

Cinema Ticket

$12.81 $12.81

$15.01 $15.01

-14.66%

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

$1,178 $1,178

$1,496 $1,496

-21.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K $15.4K

$24.6K $24.6K

-37.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 $54.4

$54.6 $54.6

-0.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.70 $43.70

$55.5 $55.5

-21.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 $98.9

$94.0 $94.0

5.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$143 $143

-20.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 $1,380

$1,710 $1,710

-19.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 $1,170

$1,277 $1,277

-8.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,300 $2,300

$3,072 $3,072

-25.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,998 $1,998

$1,989 $1,989

0.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,186 $3,186

$3,966 $3,966

-19.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,747 $2,747

$2,188 $2,188

25.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,310 $4,310

$4,551 $4,551

-5.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

6.61

-2.57%

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

Last update for Mesa, AZ: October 19, 2026

Last update for Raleigh, NC: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mesa, AZ

$1.2K 45.5%

Raleigh, NC

$1.3K 48.6% 9.2% $107

Groceries & Markets

Mesa, AZ

$438 17%

Raleigh, NC

$410 15.6% 6.4% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mesa, AZ

$369 14.4%

Raleigh, NC

$315 12% 14.8% $55

Eating Out

Mesa, AZ

$334 13%

Raleigh, NC

$343 13.1% 2.7% $8.9

Clothing & Footwear

Mesa, AZ

$140 5.5%

Raleigh, NC

$156 6% 11.5% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Mesa, AZ

$67 2.6%

Raleigh, NC

$68 2.6% 0.8% $0.5

Getting Around

Mesa, AZ

$55 2.1%

Raleigh, NC

$57 2.2% 4.3% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,380 in Mesa, AZ versus $1,710 in Raleigh, 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 6% higher in Raleigh, NC, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Mesa, AZ versus $91.0 in Raleigh, NC. Groceries tell a different story – $438 in Mesa, AZ vs $410 in Raleigh, NC – so Raleigh, NC wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Mesa, AZ

🇺🇸 Raleigh, NC

🕒 Local time

15:56 3:56 PM

18:56 6:56 PM

3 h ahead of Mesa, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

504,258

431,746

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mesa, AZ Raleigh, NC 3,040 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mesa, AZ
Raleigh, 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

Mesa, AZ vs Raleigh, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Raleigh, NC costs about 2% more than Mesa, AZ, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,859 per month in Mesa, AZ and $3,938 in Raleigh, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mesa, AZ, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Mesa, AZ and $91.0 in Raleigh, NC. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,573 in Mesa, AZ and $2,625 in Raleigh, NC. That's a gap of about 2%.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,573 in Mesa, AZ and $2,625 in Raleigh, NC. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Mesa, AZ – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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