Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mons and Durham, NC

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.

91

Cost of Living Index in Mons
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Mons Living Index
125

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

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Mons

🇧🇪 Belgium

$1,893

/mo nomad

Durham, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,554

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Mons costs roughly 26% less than in Durham, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.03 €15.15

$15.60 $15.60

9.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.4 €73.3

$103 $103

-20.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.05 €8.94

$10.06 $10.06

-0.10%

Cappuccino

$2.51 €2.23

$4.61 $4.61

-45.55%

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

$2.74 €2.44

$3.15 $3.15

-13.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.51

$2.06 $2.06

-17.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.87 €3.44

$5.85 $5.85

-33.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 €3.83

$6.96 $6.96

-38.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.18 $1.18

-1.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 €1.96

$4.96 $4.96

-55.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$4.45 $4.45

-50.56%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.64

$3.48 $3.48

17.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.75

$19.27 $19.27

-2.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.42 €11.05

$16.78 $16.78

-25.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.48 €17.33

$17.16 $17.16

13.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$5.73 $5.73

-52.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.10

$1.85 $1.85

27.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.31

$3.76 $3.76

-30.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.79 €2.48

$4.60 $4.60

-39.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.89

$2.29 $2.29

-6.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 €1.03

$3.89 $3.89

-70.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.17

$2.71 $2.71

-51.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.95

$1.97 $1.97

-45.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.66 €8.59

$7.98 $7.98

21.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.65 €5.02

$15.09 $15.09

-62.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.48 $1.48

28.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.61

$4.00 $4.00

-54.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 €2.71

$1.52 $1.52

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.67 €37.06

$25.28 $25.28

64.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.95 €9.74

$1.96 $1.96

458.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 €2.54

$0.60 $0.60

375.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.21 €22.42

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.63

$0.96 $0.96

90.63%

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

$35.7K €31.7K

$35.0K $35.0K

1.84%

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

$33.5K €29.8K

$24.8K $24.8K

35.12%

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

$223 €198

$224 $224

-0.39%

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

$20.52 €18.25

$56.2 $56.2

-63.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.91 €40.84

$70.9 $70.9

-35.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.32 €23.41

$49.70 $49.70

-47.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.37 €16.34

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 €10.84

$13.19 $13.19

-7.66%

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

$552 €491

$1,542 $1,542

-64.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K €18.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €94.7

$44.17 $44.17

140.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.28 €41.17

$34.03 $34.03

36.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.3

$92.3 $92.3

17.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 €131

$135 $135

8.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$686 €610

$1,710 $1,710

-59.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 €630

$1,220 $1,220

-41.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,031 €917

$2,543 $2,543

-59.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$996 €886

$2,210 $2,210

-54.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,094 €3,641

$2,757 $2,757

48.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,906 €2,585

$2,680 $2,680

8.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,796 €2,487

$4,585 $4,585

-39.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.2

6.81

-53.01%

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

Last update for Mons: October 10, 2026

Last update for Durham, NC: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mons

$709 37.4%

Durham, NC

$1.2K 47.8% 72.2% $512

Groceries & Markets

Mons

$339 17.9%

Durham, NC

$459 18% 35.3% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mons

$290 15.3%

Durham, NC

$351 13.7% 21.2% $62

Eating Out

Mons

$242 12.8%

Durham, NC

$274 10.7% 13.3% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Mons

$184 9.7%

Durham, NC

$137 5.4% 25.1% $46

Getting Around

Mons

$79 4.2%

Durham, NC

$36 1.4% 54% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Mons

$51 2.7%

Durham, NC

$76 3% 50.1% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $686 in Mons and $1,710 in Durham, NC. 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: $82.0 in Mons vs $103 in Durham, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $459 per month, with Mons cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Mons

🇺🇸 Durham, NC

🕒 Local time

17:24 5:24 PM

11:24 11:24 AM

6 h behind Mons

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,721

283,506

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

Mons
Durham, 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

Mons vs Durham, NC: 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.

On paper, salaries run 64% lower in Durham, NC. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $686 in Mons versus $1,710 in Durham, NC. 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 $552 in Mons versus $1,542 in Durham, NC. 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, Mons and Durham, NC 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.