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 | Raleigh | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $1,371/mo | 8.8% lower in A |
| Median home value | $376,800 | $347,000 | 8.6% higher in A |
| Median household income | $63,810 | $78,631 | 18.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 100.7 | 102.1 | 1.4% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 98.0 | 99.9 | 1.9% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 85.7 | 88.1 | 2.8% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 100.9 | 104.8 | 3.7% 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 $105,566 in Raleigh to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Asheville, NC is about 5.3% cheaper overall than Raleigh, NC, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 9% lower in Asheville than in Raleigh. If you earn $80,000 in Asheville, you'd need about $84,453 in Raleigh to keep the same standard of living.