Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Wilmington, NC: $2,876 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Wilmington, NC
Learn more

Wilmington, NC Living Index
239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index

Jump to prices

Wilmington, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,876

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,876 per month in Wilmington, NC vs $4,941 in New York, NY, rent included.

Wilmington, NC $2,876
New York, NY $4,941

A couple spends around $4,129 per month in Wilmington, NC vs $7,225 in New York, NY, rent included.

Wilmington, NC $4,129
New York, NY $7,225

A family of three spends $5,382 per month in Wilmington, NC vs $9,509 in New York, NY, rent included.

Wilmington, NC $5,382
New York, NY $9,509

Wilmington, NC is about 42% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Wilmington, NC and New York, NY sit above the global median – Wilmington, NC by 111%, New York, NY by 263%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.08 $15.08

$28.55 $28.55

-47.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 $80.1

$118 $118

-32.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 $10.80

$15.04 $15.04

-28.19%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$6.53 $6.53

-15.01%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$3.96 $3.96

-36.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$3.01 $3.01

-21.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 $5.14

$8.16 $8.16

-37.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 $6.95

$9.84 $9.84

-29.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.37 $1.37

-27.74%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$4.97 $4.97

-19.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.84 $5.84

$7.81 $7.81

-25.22%

Eggs

$5.34 $5.34

$5.97 $5.97

-10.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 $11.38

$18.91 $18.91

-39.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.42 $14.42

$18.04 $18.04

-20.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.47 $25.47

$19.05 $19.05

33.70%

Apples (1kg)

$6.38 $6.38

$6.76 $6.76

-5.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.27 $2.27

-22.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.91 $6.91

$6.83 $6.83

1.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.19 $6.19

$7.09 $7.09

-12.69%

Potato (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$4.22 $4.22

-3.08%

Onion (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$4.65 $4.65

27.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.87 $2.87

-16.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.60 $2.60

20.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.64 $8.64

$18.77 $18.77

-53.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.70 $14.70

$20.13 $20.13

-26.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.45 $3.45

-41.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 $6.00

$4.02 $4.02

49.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.91 $2.91

-30.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.4 $79.4

$139 $139

-42.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.03 $7.03

$3.08 $3.08

128.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.12 $2.12

-10.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.17 $1.17

-11.97%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$34.5K $34.5K

-21.42%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$25.9K $25.9K

1.71%

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

$286 $286

$219 $219

30.54%

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

$55.8 $55.8

$74.2 $74.2

-24.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.2 $76.2

$70.2 $70.2

8.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 $56.1

$112 $112

-49.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.08 $4.08

$74.9 $74.9

-94.55%

Cinema Ticket

$14.89 $14.89

$22.14 $22.14

-32.75%

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

$1,339 $1,339

$3,558 $3,558

-62.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 $70.9

$75.6 $75.6

-6.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.96 $41.96

$51.2 $51.2

-18.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 $99.6

$123 $123

-19.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.8 $68.8

$140 $140

-50.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,640 $1,640

$4,499 $4,499

-63.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 $1,361

$3,078 $3,078

-55.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,819 $2,819

$9,447 $9,447

-70.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,116 $2,116

$5,190 $5,190

-59.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,291 $3,291

$18.1K $18.1K

-81.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,529 $2,529

$6,693 $6,693

-62.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,936 $3,936

$5,220 $5,220

-24.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.86

-4.23%

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

Last update for Wilmington, NC: October 26, 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

Wilmington, NC

$1.4K 47.3%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 126% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Wilmington, NC

$501 17.4%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 12.3% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wilmington, NC

$418 14.6%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 13% $55

Eating Out

Wilmington, NC

$279 9.7%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 57.9% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Wilmington, NC

$127 4.4%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 38.6% $49

Getting Around

Wilmington, NC

$104 3.6%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 57.9% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Wilmington, NC

$86 3%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 82% $70

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,640 in Wilmington, 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 33% 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 $80 in Wilmington, NC versus $118 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $501 vs $563 – making Wilmington, NC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wilmington, NC

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

13:10 1:10 PM

Same time as Wilmington, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,826

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Wilmington, NC New York, NY 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Wilmington, 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

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

New York, NY costs about 72% more than Wilmington, NC, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,313 per month in Wilmington, 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 Wilmington, NC, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,640 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $1,339 per month in Wilmington, 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 12% 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.

Families tend to lean toward Wilmington, 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 Wilmington, 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.