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 | Durham | Madison | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,296/mo | $1,291/mo | 0.4% higher in A |
| Median home value | $316,600 | $326,600 | 3.1% lower in A |
| Median household income | $74,710 | $74,895 | 0.2% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 101.2 | 103.9 | 2.6% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 98.7 | 90.5 | 9.0% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 86.6 | 94.9 | 8.7% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 102.4 | 96.3 | 6.4% higher 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 Durham, you'd need $100,742 in Madison to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Durham, NC is about 0.7% cheaper overall than Madison, WI, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Durham, you'd need about $80,594 in Madison to keep the same standard of living.