Cost of Living: Raleigh, NC vs Durham, NC

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,254/mo in Raleigh, NC versus $4,254/mo in Durham, NC. In the model, rent is about 21.39% of gross in Raleigh, NC versus 20.57% in Durham, NC, so Durham, NC tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Raleigh, NC
$4,254/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Durham, NC
$4,254/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Raleigh, NC
21.39%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Durham, NC
20.57%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Raleigh, NC and Durham, 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: Raleigh, NC

Cost of Living Index

Raleigh, NC: 102.6 (U.S. = 100) · Durham, NC: 99.2 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Raleigh, NC: $1,395/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Durham, NC: $1,342/mo

Median rent in Raleigh, NC is $53/mo higher than in Durham, NC.

Median Home Price

Raleigh, NC: $377,800 · Durham, NC: $355,300

Median home price in Raleigh, NC is $22,500 higher than in Durham, NC.

Median Household Income

Raleigh, NC: $82,424 · Durham, NC: $79,234

Raleigh, NC has a higher median household income than Durham, NC by $3,190.

Raleigh, NC overview · Durham, NC overview · Popular comparisons