Cost of living comparison
compared to
Washington vs. Raleigh Cost of Living Summary
Washington is 32.6% more expensive than Raleigh.
Washington vs. Raleigh Cost Breakdown
If you lived in Washington instead of Raleigh, you would:
pay 28.6% more for restaurants
Raleigh | Washington | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant | $20.00 | $25.00 | |
| Fast food combo meal McDonalds, or similar | $10.00 | $12.00 | |
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) | $2.37 | $3.20 | |
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) | $2.07 | $2.79 | |
Raleigh vs. Washington - Cost of restaurants
pay 8.8% more for groceries
Raleigh | Washington | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread 1 loaf | $4.07 | $4.43 | |
| Local cheese (8 oz) | $6.87 | $8.04 | |
| Milk (1 gallon) | $3.35 | $4.19 | |
| Eggs 1 dozen | $4.68 | $4.55 | |
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) | $5.21 | $7.74 | |
| Apples (1 lb) | $2.89 | $2.95 | |
| Bananas (1 lb) | $0.63 | $0.92 | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | $2.57 | $2.20 | |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | $2.94 | $3.00 | |
| Potatoes (1 lb) | $1.68 | $1.35 | |
| Onions (1 lb) | $1.93 | $1.64 | |
Raleigh vs. Washington - Cost of groceries
pay 25.2% more for transportation
Raleigh | Washington | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | $3.12 | $3.53 | |
| Monthly public transit pass | $45.00 | $77.50 | |
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) | $34,689.37 | $35,699.74 | |
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) | $14.90 | $16.73 | |
Raleigh vs. Washington - Cost of transportation
pay 23.0% more for housing
Raleigh | Washington | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet connection 50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl | $67.64 | $69.41 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area | $1,775.64 | $2,568.48 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center | $1,470.00 | $2,088.16 | |
| Utilities for two (700 sq ft apartment) including electric, gas, water, heating | $142.76 | $146.54 | |
Raleigh vs. Washington - Cost of housing
pay 72.3% more for childcare
Raleigh | Washington | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly | $1,490.00 | $2,650.00 | |
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters | $24,083.25 | $40,166.67 | |
Raleigh vs. Washington - Cost of childcare
pay 58.9% more for entertainment and sports
Raleigh | Washington | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) | $5.88 | $8.00 | |
| Cappuccino in mid-range area | $5.27 | $6.07 | |
| Pack of cigarettes Marlboro or similar | $7.50 | $13.00 | |
| Monthly membership at local gym | $40.18 | $103.76 | |
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema | $15.00 | $16.75 | |
Raleigh vs. Washington - Cost of entertainment and sports
pay 11.3% more for clothing
Raleigh | Washington | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular jeans Levi's brand | $51.78 | $76.00 | |
| Regular dress from H&M or similar store | $48.25 | $48.40 | |
| Running shoes Nike or Adidas | $103.08 | $104.31 | |
| Men's business shoes (leather) | $137.22 | $133.22 | |
Raleigh vs. Washington - 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
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