Cost of Living: Durham, NC vs Cary, NC

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,254/mo in Durham, NC versus $4,254/mo in Cary, NC. In the model, rent is about 20.57% of gross in Durham, NC versus 23.62% in Cary, NC, so Durham, NC tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Durham, NC
$4,254/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Cary, NC
$4,254/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Durham, NC
20.57%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Cary, NC
23.62%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Durham, NC and Cary, NC.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Durham, NC
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Durham, NC
  • Lower home prices: Durham, NC
  • Higher median household income: Cary, NC

Cost of Living Index

Durham, NC: 99.2 (U.S. = 100) · Cary, NC: 100 (U.S. = 100)

Durham, NC has a lower cost-of-living index than Cary, NC, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Durham, NC: $1,342/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Cary, NC: $1,540/mo

Median rent in Cary, NC is $198/mo higher than in Durham, NC.

Median Home Price

Durham, NC: $355,300 · Cary, NC: $525,200

Median home price in Cary, NC is $169,900 higher than in Durham, NC.

Median Household Income

Durham, NC: $79,234 · Cary, NC: $129,399

Cary, NC has a higher median household income than Durham, NC by $50,165.

Durham, NC overview · Cary, NC overview · Popular comparisons