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 | Durham | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $1,296/mo | 3.5% lower in A |
| Median home value | $376,800 | $316,600 | 19.0% higher in A |
| Median household income | $63,810 | $74,710 | 14.6% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 100.7 | 101.2 | 0.5% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 98.0 | 98.7 | 0.7% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 85.7 | 86.6 | 1.1% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 100.9 | 102.4 | 1.4% 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 $102,118 in Durham to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Asheville, NC is about 2.1% cheaper overall than Durham, NC, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 4% lower in Asheville than in Durham. If you earn $80,000 in Asheville, you'd need about $81,695 in Durham to keep the same standard of living.