Cost of Living: Chapel Hill, NC vs Rio Rancho, NM

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,254/mo in Chapel Hill, NC versus $4,230/mo in Rio Rancho, NM. In the model, rent is about 21.62% of gross in Chapel Hill, NC versus 21.58% in Rio Rancho, NM, so Rio Rancho, NM tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Chapel Hill, NC
$4,254/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Rio Rancho, NM
$4,230/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Chapel Hill, NC
21.62%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Rio Rancho, NM
21.58%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Chapel Hill, NC and Rio Rancho, NM.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Rio Rancho, NM
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Rio Rancho, NM
  • Lower home prices: Rio Rancho, NM
  • Higher median household income: Chapel Hill, NC

Cost of Living Index

Chapel Hill, NC: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Rio Rancho, NM: 100 (U.S. = 100)

Both cities have the same cost-of-living index (U.S. average = 100).

Median Rent

Chapel Hill, NC: $1,409/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Rio Rancho, NM: $1,407/mo

Median rent in Chapel Hill, NC is $2/mo higher than in Rio Rancho, NM.

Median Home Price

Chapel Hill, NC: $576,500 · Rio Rancho, NM: $273,300

Median home price in Chapel Hill, NC is $303,200 higher than in Rio Rancho, NM.

Median Household Income

Chapel Hill, NC: $85,825 · Rio Rancho, NM: $85,755

Chapel Hill, NC has a higher median household income than Rio Rancho, NM by $70.

Chapel Hill, NC overview · Rio Rancho, NM overview · Popular comparisons