Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Raleigh, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Raleigh, NC: $2,643 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
126

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

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Raleigh, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,643

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY 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 New York, NY and in Raleigh, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,643 in Raleigh, NC, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Raleigh, NC $2,643

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $3,817 in Raleigh, NC, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Raleigh, NC $3,817

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $4,991 in Raleigh, NC, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Raleigh, NC $4,991

New York, NY costs about 87% more than Raleigh, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Raleigh, NC sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Raleigh, NC by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$21.90 $21.90

30.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$88.4 $88.4

33.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$11.44 $11.44

31.47%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.60 $5.60

16.61%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.83 $2.83

39.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.16 $2.16

39.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$6.12 $6.12

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$6.94 $6.94

41.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.88 $0.88

55.68%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.79 $3.79

31.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$3.17 $3.17

146.37%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.78 $4.78

24.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$15.10 $15.10

25.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$9.74 $9.74

85.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$17.81 $17.81

6.96%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$6.61 $6.61

2.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.26 $1.26

80.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.45 $4.45

53.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.75 $5.75

23.30%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.91 $2.91

45.02%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.61 $3.61

28.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.16 $2.16

32.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.21 $2.21

17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$8.64 $8.64

117.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$15.11 $15.11

33.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.24 $2.24

54.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.74 $2.74

46.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.22 $1.22

138.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$40.38 $40.38

244.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.92 $2.92

5.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.92 $1.92

10.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$17.79 $17.79

135.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.01 $1.01

15.84%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$30.8K $30.8K

11.87%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.8K $25.8K

0.07%

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

$219 $219

$185 $185

18.36%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$56.7 $56.7

30.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$68.5 $68.5

2.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$33.01 $33.01

239.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$5.90 $5.90

1168.81%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$14.74 $14.74

50.20%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,317 $1,317

170.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$24.0K $24.0K

159.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$60.5 $60.5

25.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$55.7 $55.7

-8.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$102 $102

20.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$159 $159

-12.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,715 $1,715

162.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,290 $1,290

138.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,825 $2,825

234.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,915 $1,915

171.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$4,556 $4,556

297.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,115 $2,115

216.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,605 $4,605

13.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.61

3.78%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Last update for Raleigh, NC: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Raleigh, NC

$1.3K 48.8% 58.1% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Raleigh, NC

$411 15.6% 27% $152

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Raleigh, NC

$341 12.9% 22.5% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Raleigh, NC

$311 11.8% 14.6% $53

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Raleigh, NC

$170 6.4% 3.3% $5.7

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Raleigh, NC

$58 2.2% 64.8% $107

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Raleigh, NC

$62 2.4% 60% $94

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,715 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 13% higher in New York, NY, 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 $118 in New York, NY versus $88 in Raleigh, NC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $411 – making Raleigh, NC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Raleigh, NC

🕒 Local time

08:07 8:07 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

431,746

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Raleigh, NC 670 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
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

New York, NY vs Raleigh, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 87% more than Raleigh, NC, 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 $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $3,964 in Raleigh, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Raleigh, NC, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,715 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,317 in Raleigh, NC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,643 in Raleigh, NC. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Raleigh, NC – 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 Raleigh, NC. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.