Cost of living comparison
North Carolina is 19.8% cheaper than Massachusetts.
If you lived in North Carolina instead of Massachusetts, you would:
pay 24.4% less for restaurants
|
Massachusetts
|
North Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant |
$21.36
|
$15.15
|
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$10.01
|
$8.24
|
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) |
$2.73
|
$2.10
|
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) |
$2.24
|
$1.61
|
|
pay 14.2% less for groceries
|
Massachusetts
|
North Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$3.46
|
$3.04
|
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) |
$8.18
|
$5.41
|
|
| Milk (1 gallon) |
$4.13
|
$3.37
|
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$3.94
|
$3.65
|
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) |
$4.94
|
$5.35
|
|
| Apples (1 lb) |
$2.44
|
$2.24
|
|
| Bananas (1 lb) |
$0.81
|
$0.61
|
|
| Oranges (1 lb) |
$2.16
|
$2.01
|
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
$2.40
|
$1.88
|
|
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
$1.47
|
$1.18
|
|
| Onions (1 lb) |
$1.50
|
$1.33
|
|
pay 8.8% less for transportation
|
Massachusetts
|
North Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
$3.63
|
$3.24
|
|
| Monthly public transit pass |
$61.20
|
$52.45
|
|
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) |
$27,045.17
|
$25,513.75
|
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) |
$16.77
|
$15.96
|
|
pay 22.7% less for housing
|
Massachusetts
|
North Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$80.36
|
$66.74
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area |
$1,973.24
|
$1,481.44
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center |
$1,612.24
|
$1,208.87
|
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$166.10
|
$126.18
|
|
pay 43.5% less for childcare
|
Massachusetts
|
North Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly |
$2,203.13
|
$1,073.46
|
|
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters |
$28,357.14
|
$18,256.56
|
|
pay 20.6% less for entertainment and sports
|
Massachusetts
|
North Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) |
$6.15
|
$4.33
|
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area |
$4.74
|
$4.35
|
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
$10.90
|
$7.59
|
|
| Monthly membership at local gym |
$53.06
|
$38.90
|
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema |
$12.93
|
$11.82
|
|
pay 4.5% less for clothing
|
Massachusetts
|
North Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$45.25
|
$42.84
|
|
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$40.58
|
$37.91
|
|
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$80.00
|
$75.67
|
|
| Men's business shoes (leather) |
$109.30
|
$108.53
|
|
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