Moving to North Carolina from Arizona
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Arizona to North Carolina — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Arizona to North Carolina, you would find that North Carolina is 5.3% more expensive than Arizona. A $75,000 salary in Arizona would need to be roughly $75,695 in North Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Asheville averages 67°F vs 87°F in Phoenix, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Arizona to North Carolina.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $75,695
To maintain the same standard of living in North Carolina
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 12.2% less
Groceries
pay 18.5% more
Transportation
pay 7.9% more
Housing
pay 14.2% less
Childcare
pay 40.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.5% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in North Carolina cost about 1% more than cities in Arizona.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
How Arizona and North Carolina stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Arizona generally does better on safety, though North Carolina leads in violent crime rate.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Arizona generally does better on health & wellbeing, though North Carolina leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
North Carolina generally does better on what about housing?, though Arizona leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Arizona generally does better on infrastructure, though North Carolina leads in average commute.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Arizona generally does better on employment & economy, though North Carolina leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Arizona generally does better on family life, though North Carolina leads in bachelor's degree or higher.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Phoenix | Asheville |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 73°/49°F (23°/10°C) | 52°/32°F (11°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 95°/69°F (35°/20°C) | 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 103°/80°F (40°/27°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) | 58°/38°F (15°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Phoenix | Asheville |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 69°/46°F (20.3°/7.6°C) | 47°/28°F (8.1°/-2.4°C) |
| Feb | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.3°C) | 50°/31°F (10.2°/-0.6°C) |
| Mar | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) | 58°/37°F (14.4°/2.9°C) |
| Apr | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.7°C) | 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) |
| May | 95°/69°F (34.8°/20.6°C) | 75°/53°F (23.9°/11.7°C) |
| Jun | 104°/77°F (39.9°/25.1°C) | 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 106°/83°F (41.0°/28.1°C) | 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.1°C) |
| Aug | 104°/82°F (40.1°/27.8°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.7°C) |
| Sep | 100°/75°F (37.8°/24.1°C) | 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.8°C) |
| Oct | 89°/64°F (31.8°/18.0°C) | 68°/46°F (19.9°/7.9°C) |
| Nov | 76°/52°F (24.7°/11.1°C) | 58°/38°F (14.7°/3.1°C) |
| Dec | 67°/45°F (19.6°/7.1°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-0.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in North Carolina than Arizona?
Headline costs are within a few percent between North Carolina and Arizona; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.
How much money do I need to move to North Carolina?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $18,924 in North Carolina for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is North Carolina safe?
Arizona generally does better on safety, though North Carolina leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in North Carolina compared to Arizona?
Arizona generally does better on health & wellbeing, though North Carolina leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in North Carolina compared to Arizona?
The average high temperature in Asheville is 67°F, compared to 87°F in Phoenix. Asheville receives around 37.0 in of rainfall per year, while Phoenix gets 8.2 in.
