Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Owensboro, KY and Chapel Hill, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Owensboro, KY: $1,977 a month against $2,851 in Chapel Hill, NC, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Owensboro, KY
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Owensboro, KY Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Chapel Hill, NC
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Chapel Hill, NC Living Index

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Owensboro, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$1,977

/mo nomad

Chapel Hill, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,851

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Owensboro, KY and in Chapel Hill, NC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,977 in Owensboro, KY versus $2,851 in Chapel Hill, NC.

Owensboro, KY $1,977
Chapel Hill, NC $2,851

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,919 in Owensboro, KY versus $4,314 in Chapel Hill, NC.

Owensboro, KY $2,919
Chapel Hill, NC $4,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,861 in Owensboro, KY versus $5,777 in Chapel Hill, NC.

Owensboro, KY $3,861
Chapel Hill, NC $5,777

Living in Owensboro, KY costs roughly 31% less than in Chapel Hill, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Owensboro, KY 45% above, Chapel Hill, NC 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.39 $19.39

$18.13 $18.13

6.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 $59.8

$91.5 $91.5

-34.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 $9.82

$9.98 $9.98

-1.60%

Cappuccino

$5.53 $5.53

$4.61 $4.61

19.96%

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

$1.88 $1.88

$2.83 $2.83

-33.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 $1.35

$2.02 $2.02

-33.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 $3.99

$5.83 $5.83

-31.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 $4.96

$6.89 $6.89

-28.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.18 $1.18

-33.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 $3.24

$4.58 $4.58

-29.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$9.64 $9.64

-55.60%

Eggs

$3.02 $3.02

$5.46 $5.46

-44.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.67 $6.67

$18.41 $18.41

-63.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.01 $11.01

$13.59 $13.59

-18.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.10 $12.10

$27.26 $27.26

-55.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$7.75 $7.75

-44.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.86 $1.86

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$6.87 $6.87

-60.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$6.02 $6.02

-40.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$4.68 $4.68

-51.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$4.08 $4.08

-46.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.72 $2.72

-24.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.98 $1.98

-23.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.73 $8.73

$8.89 $8.89

-1.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 $7.85

$15.16 $15.16

-48.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.63 $1.63

14.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 $4.94

$3.90 $3.90

26.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.58 $30.58

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.54 $5.54

$2.04 $2.04

171.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.26 $2.26

-53.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.13 $18.13

$14.82 $14.82

22.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.00 $1.00

-14.00%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$30.2K $30.2K

-7.60%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$26.3K $26.3K

3.53%

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

$172 $172

$221 $221

-22.38%

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

$60.9 $60.9

$51.5 $51.5

18.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 $59.7

$69.9 $69.9

-14.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.91 $49.91

$66.4 $66.4

-24.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.17 $10.17

Cinema Ticket

$13.19 $13.19

$13.72 $13.72

-3.86%

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

$1,380 $1,380

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,932 $9,932

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.5 $74.5

$38.35 $38.35

94.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.29 $43.29

$31.64 $31.64

36.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.0 $68.0

$102 $102

-33.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 $89.3

$135 $135

-33.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$844 $844

$2,015 $2,015

-58.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$834 $834

$1,436 $1,436

-41.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 $1,441

$3,455 $3,455

-58.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,364 $1,364

$2,574 $2,574

-47.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,744 $1,744

$3,195 $3,195

-45.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,738 $1,738

$2,512 $2,512

-30.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,362 $3,362

$5,481 $5,481

-38.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.68

-1.95%

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

Last update for Owensboro, KY: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chapel Hill, NC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Owensboro, KY

$834 42.2%

Chapel Hill, NC

$1.4K 50.4% 72.2% $602

Groceries & Markets

Owensboro, KY

$311 15.7%

Chapel Hill, NC

$534 18.7% 71.6% $223

Eating Out

Owensboro, KY

$294 14.9%

Chapel Hill, NC

$293 10.3% 0.4% $1.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Owensboro, KY

$293 14.8%

Chapel Hill, NC

$343 12% 17.2% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Owensboro, KY

$124 6.3%

Chapel Hill, NC

$138 4.9% 11.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Owensboro, KY

$76 3.9%

Chapel Hill, NC

$94 3.3% 22.9% $17

Getting Around

Owensboro, KY

$45 2.3%

Chapel Hill, NC

$13 * 0.5% 70.6% $32

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 $844 in Owensboro, KY and $2,015 in Chapel Hill, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chapel Hill, NC pays 63% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $60 in Owensboro, KY vs $91 in Chapel Hill, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $311 vs $534 per month, with Owensboro, KY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Owensboro, KY

🇺🇸 Chapel Hill, NC

🕒 Local time

11:09 11:09 AM

12:09 12:09 PM

1 h ahead of Owensboro, KY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,525

61,960

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Owensboro, KY Chapel Hill, NC 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Owensboro, KY
Chapel Hill, 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

Owensboro, KY vs Chapel Hill, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Owensboro, KY wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Chapel Hill, NC. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Owensboro, KY the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 39% lower in Owensboro, KY. 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: $844 in Owensboro, KY versus $2,015 in Chapel Hill, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,977 per month in Owensboro, KY versus $2,851 in Chapel Hill, NC – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Chapel Hill, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Owensboro, KY wins on affordability, Chapel Hill, NC on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.