City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Asheville | Charlotte | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $1,399/mo | 10.7% lower in A |
| Median home value | $376,800 | $312,800 | 20.5% higher in A |
| Median household income | $63,810 | $74,070 | 13.9% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 100.7 | 102.4 | 1.7% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 98.0 | 100.3 | 2.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 85.7 | 88.7 | 3.4% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 100.9 | 105.6 | 4.5% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Asheville, you'd need $106,864 in Charlotte to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Asheville, NC is about 6.4% cheaper overall than Charlotte, NC, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 11% lower in Asheville than in Charlotte. If you earn $80,000 in Asheville, you'd need about $85,491 in Charlotte to keep the same standard of living.