Cost of living comparison
compared to
Raleigh vs. New York City Cost of Living Summary
Raleigh is 28.6% cheaper than New York City.
Raleigh vs. New York City Cost Breakdown
If you lived in Raleigh instead of New York City, you would:
pay 21.7% less for restaurants
New York City | Raleigh | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant | $25.00 | $20.00 | |
| Fast food combo meal McDonalds, or similar | $13.00 | $10.00 | |
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) | $3.09 | $2.37 | |
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) | $2.61 | $2.07 | |
New York City vs. Raleigh - Cost of restaurants
pay 16.1% less for groceries
New York City | Raleigh | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread 1 loaf | $4.75 | $4.07 | |
| Local cheese (8 oz) | $8.89 | $6.87 | |
| Milk (1 gallon) | $6.05 | $3.35 | |
| Eggs 1 dozen | $7.20 | $4.68 | |
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) | $7.07 | $5.21 | |
| Apples (1 lb) | $3.29 | $2.89 | |
| Bananas (1 lb) | $1.08 | $0.63 | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | $2.60 | $2.57 | |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | $2.68 | $2.94 | |
| Potatoes (1 lb) | $1.63 | $1.68 | |
| Onions (1 lb) | $1.78 | $1.93 | |
New York City vs. Raleigh - Cost of groceries
pay 28.5% less for transportation
New York City | Raleigh | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | $3.47 | $3.12 | |
| Monthly public transit pass | $132.00 | $45.00 | |
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) | $36,344.69 | $34,689.37 | |
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) | $22.39 | $14.90 | |
New York City vs. Raleigh - Cost of transportation
pay 25.8% less for housing
New York City | Raleigh | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet connection 50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl | $67.59 | $67.64 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area | $4,037.06 | $1,775.64 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center | $2,496.67 | $1,470.00 | |
| Utilities for two (700 sq ft apartment) including electric, gas, water, heating | $151.98 | $142.76 | |
New York City vs. Raleigh - Cost of housing
pay 55.3% less for childcare
New York City | Raleigh | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly | $3,154.10 | $1,490.00 | |
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters | $57,250.00 | $24,083.25 | |
New York City vs. Raleigh - Cost of childcare
pay 38.6% less for entertainment and sports
New York City | Raleigh | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) | $8.00 | $5.88 | |
| Cappuccino in mid-range area | $5.71 | $5.27 | |
| Pack of cigarettes Marlboro or similar | $19.00 | $7.50 | |
| Monthly membership at local gym | $150.04 | $40.18 | |
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema | $20.00 | $15.00 | |
New York City vs. Raleigh - Cost of entertainment and sports
pay 14.1% less for clothing
New York City | Raleigh | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular jeans Levi's brand | $67.80 | $51.78 | |
| Regular dress from H&M or similar store | $49.94 | $48.25 | |
| Running shoes Nike or Adidas | $115.58 | $103.08 | |
| Men's business shoes (leather) | $168.76 | $137.22 | |
New York City vs. Raleigh - Cost of clothing
The statistics used to build this comparison are calculated using data from users just like you. We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world. Learn more about our data sources. Page last updated: June 2026
Change currency:
Compare further: New York City vs. Raleigh
Help us improve these prices
MyLifeElsewhere is a collaborative project. Please enter price information for your location to help assist us in making these comparisons more accurate. Learn more
Ask the Elsewhere Community
Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Raleigh or New York City. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.