Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

126

Cost of Living Index in Raleigh, NC
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Raleigh, NC Living Index
239

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

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Raleigh, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,643

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Raleigh, NC and in New York, NY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Raleigh, NC is about 47% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.90 $21.90

$28.55 $28.55

-23.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.4 $88.4

$118 $118

-25.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 $11.44

$15.04 $15.04

-23.94%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$6.53 $6.53

-14.24%

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

$2.83 $2.83

$3.96 $3.96

-28.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.01 $3.01

-28.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$8.16 $8.16

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$9.84 $9.84

-29.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.37 $1.37

-35.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.79 $3.79

$4.97 $4.97

-23.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$7.81 $7.81

-59.41%

Eggs

$4.78 $4.78

$5.97 $5.97

-19.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 $15.10

$18.91 $18.91

-20.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 $9.74

$18.04 $18.04

-46.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.81 $17.81

$19.05 $19.05

-6.51%

Apples (1kg)

$6.61 $6.61

$6.76 $6.76

-2.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 $1.26

$2.27 $2.27

-44.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$6.83 $6.83

-34.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.75 $5.75

$7.09 $7.09

-18.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$4.22 $4.22

-31.04%

Onion (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$4.65 $4.65

-22.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.87 $2.87

-24.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.60 $2.60

-15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.64 $8.64

$18.77 $18.77

-53.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.11 $15.11

$20.13 $20.13

-24.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$3.45 $3.45

-35.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$4.02 $4.02

-31.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.91 $2.91

-58.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.38 $40.38

$139 $139

-70.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.08 $3.08

-5.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.12 $2.12

-9.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.79 $17.79

$41.96 $41.96

-57.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.17 $1.17

-13.68%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$34.5K $34.5K

-10.61%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

-0.07%

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

$185 $185

$219 $219

-15.51%

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

$56.7 $56.7

$74.2 $74.2

-23.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.5 $68.5

$70.2 $70.2

-2.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.01 $33.01

$112 $112

-70.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.90 $5.90

$74.9 $74.9

-92.12%

Cinema Ticket

$14.74 $14.74

$22.14 $22.14

-33.42%

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

$1,317 $1,317

$3,558 $3,558

-62.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K $24.0K

$62.2K $62.2K

-61.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.5 $60.5

$75.6 $75.6

-20.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 $55.7

$51.2 $51.2

8.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$123 $123

-17.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$140 $140

13.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,715 $1,715

$4,499 $4,499

-61.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 $1,290

$3,078 $3,078

-58.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 $2,825

$9,447 $9,447

-70.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 $1,915

$5,190 $5,190

-63.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,556 $4,556

$18.1K $18.1K

-74.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,115 $2,115

$6,693 $6,693

-68.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,605 $4,605

$5,220 $5,220

-11.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

6.86

-3.64%

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

Last update for Raleigh, NC: October 24, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Raleigh, NC

$1.3K 48.8%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 139% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Raleigh, NC

$411 15.6%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 37% $152

Eating Out

Raleigh, NC

$341 12.9%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 29.1% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Raleigh, NC

$311 11.8%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 17.2% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Raleigh, NC

$170 6.4%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 3.4% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Raleigh, NC

$62 2.4%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 150% $94

Getting Around

Raleigh, NC

$58 2.2%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 184% $107

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇺🇸 Raleigh, NC

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

08:41 8:41 AM

Same time as Raleigh, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

431,746

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Raleigh, NC
New York, NY

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

Raleigh, NC vs New York, NY: 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 $3,964 per month in Raleigh, NC and $7,412 in New York, NY. 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 $1,317 per month in Raleigh, NC and $3,558 in New York, NY. 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 the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,643 in Raleigh, NC and $4,941 in New York, NY. 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.