Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Richmond, VA and Hickory, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Hickory, NC: $2,078 a month against $2,888 in Richmond, VA, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Richmond, VA
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Richmond, VA Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Hickory, NC
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Hickory, NC Living Index

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Richmond, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,888

/mo nomad

Hickory, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,078

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Richmond, VA and in Hickory, NC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,888 in Richmond, VA versus $2,078 in Hickory, NC.

Richmond, VA $2,888
Hickory, NC $2,078

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,184 in Richmond, VA versus $2,962 in Hickory, NC.

Richmond, VA $4,184
Hickory, NC $2,962

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,480 in Richmond, VA versus $3,847 in Hickory, NC.

Richmond, VA $5,480
Hickory, NC $3,847

Living in Richmond, VA is roughly 39% more expensive than in Hickory, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Richmond, VA 112% above, Hickory, NC 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.80 $24.80

$15.01 $15.01

65.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$61.7 $61.7

59.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.56 $13.56

$11.03 $11.03

22.94%

Cappuccino

$5.99 $5.99

$5.00 $5.00

19.80%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.23 $2.23

22.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.57 $1.57

50.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 $7.19

$5.46 $5.46

31.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 $8.16

$6.79 $6.79

20.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$0.85 $0.85

35.29%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.65 $3.65

15.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$3.12 $3.12

22.76%

Eggs

$6.38 $6.38

$3.43 $3.43

86.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 $9.70

$10.74 $10.74

-9.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.42 $11.42

$8.98 $8.98

27.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.96 $20.96

$17.00 $17.00

23.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$3.99 $3.99

21.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.75 $1.75

-18.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.35 $2.35

67.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.75 $1.75

147.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.38 $2.38

20.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.25 $3.25

-25.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.79 $1.79

48.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.11 $2.11

-1.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.86 $9.86

$9.00 $9.00

9.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.16 $13.16

$14.93 $14.93

-11.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.66 $1.66

36.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 $4.53

$2.93 $2.93

54.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.90 $29.90

$44.59 $44.59

-32.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.98 $1.98

29.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.27 $2.27

-30.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.48 $22.48

$17.72 $17.72

26.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.82 $0.82

23.17%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$27.0K $27.0K

1.17%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

-2.05%

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

$209 $209

$141 $141

48.49%

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

$61.9 $61.9

$59.9 $59.9

3.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.8 $70.8

$54.1 $54.1

30.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 $56.4

$27.46 $27.46

105.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.11 $20.11

Cinema Ticket

$15.19 $15.19

$14.27 $14.27

6.45%

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

$1,245 $1,245

$354 $354

251.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.0K $31.0K

$25.3K $25.3K

22.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.4 $94.4

$40.75 $40.75

131.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 $46.32

$20.24 $20.24

128.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$39.51 $39.51

156.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$49.94 $49.94

133.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 $1,655

$1,299 $1,299

27.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 $1,465

$1,030 $1,030

42.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,726 $2,726

$1,688 $1,688

61.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,225 $2,225

$1,522 $1,522

46.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,132 $3,132

$2,141 $2,141

46.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,846 $2,846

$2,163 $2,163

31.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,325 $4,325

$4,526 $4,526

-4.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

5.53

17.36%

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

Last update for Richmond, VA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hickory, NC: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Richmond, VA

$1.5K 50.7%

Hickory, NC

$1K 49.6% 29.7% $435

Groceries & Markets

Richmond, VA

$409 14.2%

Hickory, NC

$338 16.3% 17.4% $71

Eating Out

Richmond, VA

$384 13.3%

Hickory, NC

$269 13% 29.8% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Richmond, VA

$342 11.8%

Hickory, NC

$255 12.3% 25.5% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Richmond, VA

$161 5.6%

Hickory, NC

$68 3.3% 58.1% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Richmond, VA

$87 3%

Hickory, NC

$56 2.7% 35.5% $31

Getting Around

Richmond, VA

$40 * 1.4%

Hickory, NC

$63 3% 55.4% $22

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 $1,655 in Richmond, VA and $1,299 in Hickory, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hickory, NC pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $99 in Richmond, VA vs $62 in Hickory, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $409 vs $338 per month, with Hickory, NC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Richmond, VA

🇺🇸 Hickory, NC

🕒 Local time

14:00 2:00 PM

Same time as Richmond, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

226,610

40,374

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Richmond, VA Hickory, NC 400 km

From you

Richmond, VA
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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

Richmond, VA vs Hickory, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Richmond, VA and Hickory, NC differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($2,888 vs $2,078 including rent). Hickory, NC is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Richmond, VA. 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: $1,655 in Richmond, VA versus $1,299 in Hickory, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Hickory, NC – a meal for two runs $62 versus $99 in Richmond, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,888 per month in Richmond, VA versus $2,078 in Hickory, NC – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

For families, Hickory, NC is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Richmond, VA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.