Cost of Living Comparison

The Cost of Living

Where you live can make a big difference in how well you live

The cost of living determines how much buying power your salary has. It can vary widely across the state and across the country. When job hunting, consider that where you live can determine how you live.

For example, if you want to rent a two-bedroom, unfurnished apartment in Raleigh, it will cost you about $573 a month. That same apartment in Asheville will cost $791─ a $218 difference. The chart below compares costs in different areas of North Carolina and other areas of the country.

	Asheville	Charlotte	Fayetteville	Raleigh	Wilmington	Atlanta	New York City
Apartment Rent	$791	$769	$711	$573	$608	$784	$3,424
House Price	$312,540	$221,000	$240,606	$223,814	$272,812	$279,543	$1,099,399
Pizza	$9.25	$9.49	$10.26	$9.25	$11.32	$9.98	$9.99
Hamburger	$2.29	$2.43	$2.29	$2.37	$2.40	$2.48	$3.23
Movie Ticket	$7.85	$8.50	$7.92	$7.65	$7.00	$8.33	$10.42
2-Liter Coke	$1.16	$1.19	$1.39	$1.09	$1.17	$1.44	$1.59

Source: ACCRA Cost of Living Index 2007