Cost of living comparison
North Carolina is 0.7% more expensive than Illinois.
- Restaurants
-
pay 4.1% less in North Carolina
- Groceries
-
pay 15.7% more in North Carolina
- Transportation
-
pay 1.9% less in North Carolina
- Housing
-
pay 7.2% more in North Carolina
- Childcare
-
pay 3.5% less in North Carolina
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 5.9% less in North Carolina
- Clothing
-
pay 2.6% less in North Carolina
The cost of groceries and housing in North Carolina are more expensive than in Illinois. Expenses including entertainment and sports, restaurants, childcare, clothing, and transportation are lower in North Carolina.
If you lived in North Carolina instead of Illinois, you would:
pay 4.1% less for restaurants
|
Illinois
|
North Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant |
$16.03
|
$16.06
|
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$10.33
|
$10.06
|
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) |
$2.49
|
$2.31
|
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) |
$1.85
|
$1.72
|
|
pay 15.7% more for groceries
|
Illinois
|
North Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$3.19
|
$3.48
|
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) |
$5.63
|
$6.25
|
|
| Milk (1 gallon) |
$3.30
|
$3.46
|
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$2.92
|
$3.28
|
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) |
$5.08
|
$4.77
|
|
| Apples (1 lb) |
$2.10
|
$2.35
|
|
| Bananas (1 lb) |
$0.66
|
$0.74
|
|
| Oranges (1 lb) |
$2.05
|
$2.18
|
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
$1.82
|
$2.16
|
|
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
$0.98
|
$1.51
|
|
| Onions (1 lb) |
$1.20
|
$1.66
|
|
pay 1.9% less for transportation
|
Illinois
|
North Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
$3.61
|
$3.19
|
|
| Monthly public transit pass |
$72.95
|
$53.89
|
|
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) |
$28,096.73
|
$34,400.31
|
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) |
$17.96
|
$19.36
|
|
pay 7.2% more for housing
|
Illinois
|
North Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$65.96
|
$72.47
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area |
$1,375.37
|
$1,527.81
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center |
$1,146.99
|
$1,294.23
|
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$137.37
|
$130.82
|
|
pay 3.5% less for childcare
|
Illinois
|
North Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly |
$1,394.11
|
$1,254.70
|
|
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters |
$24,405.00
|
$25,128.75
|
|
pay 5.9% less for entertainment and sports
|
Illinois
|
North Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) |
$5.17
|
$5.09
|
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area |
$4.81
|
$4.89
|
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
$9.79
|
$7.33
|
|
| Monthly membership at local gym |
$60.87
|
$54.04
|
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema |
$12.50
|
$13.35
|
|
pay 2.6% less for clothing
|
Illinois
|
North Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$51.50
|
$49.88
|
|
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$41.59
|
$37.28
|
|
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$80.60
|
$86.65
|
|
| Men's business shoes (leather) |
$115.89
|
$111.01
|
|
Change currency:
Help us improve these prices
ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY
Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about North Carolina or Illinois. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.