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Cost of living in Durham, NC

Compared with New York. Change city

$1,549a month less for the typical home than in New York1,2

That's $18,588 a year, enough to cover 7 months of the mortgage in Durham. The average commute is 14 minutes shorter each way, about 2.3 hours a week back4.

Typical home $460,135 vs $742,000. 2-bedroom rent3 $1,630 vs $1,997. See the math

By Sol Lakein.Checked October 2026.How we compare costs

Downtown Durham skyline at sunset, DurhamColin Rowley / Unsplash
All cities
  • College townDuke University
  • Job hubResearch Triangle Park

Durham at a glance, next to New York

5

What the median home costs each month

1,2
New York metro$4,078/mo
$742,000 typical home
Durham$2,529/mo
$460,135 typical home

If you rent: median 2-bedroom

3
New York metro$1,997/mo
Durham$1,630/mo
About $367 a month less in rent
Rent by apartment size in Durham

Day-to-day costs

  • Housing costs61% cheaper than averageNew York: 49% above
  • Salary that matches $150,000 in New York6$130,023
Durham in a paragraph

The median listed home in Durham is $460,135 (Realtor.com, September 2026), 10% above the US median of $419,250. With 20% down at 7.32%, principal and interest come to about $2,529 a month. The median 2-bedroom rent is $1,630 a month, utilities included (Census, 2025). Everyday prices index at 97.6, where the US average is 100 (BEA, 2024). A $150,000 salary in New York buys the same as $130,023 here.

Weather

8
  • 31.8°January low
  • 90.8°July high
  • 5.2 inSnow per year

Home prices next to New York

1
Typical home for sale
New York metro$742,000
Durham$460,135
38% less, a $281,865 difference
Price per square foot
New York metro$494
Durham$242
2.0 times the space for the money

Your New York, in Durham

The places you use now, matched to their closest counterpart.

  • Big city park
    In New YorkCentral Park
    In DurhamSarah P. Duke Gardens55 acres; admission is free; Duke charges $2 per hour in campus lots, including the Gardens lot
  • Walking and biking trail
    In New YorkHudson River Greenway
    In DurhamAmerican Tobacco Trail22+ mile rail-trail from Durham to New Hill-Olive Chapel Road in western Wake County, through Durham, Chatham and Wake counties
  • Art museum
    In New YorkThe Met
    In DurhamNasher Museum of Art at Duke UniversityFree general admission for all visitors since June 7, 2022, funded by a $1 million gift
  • Science museum
    In New YorkAmerican Museum of Natural History
    In DurhamMuseum of Life and Science84-acre campus with a two-story science center and outdoor exhibits; began in 1946
Show 6 more matches
  • Broadway and the symphony
    In New YorkBroadway
    In DurhamDPAC (Durham Performing Arts Center)2,700 seats; opened in 2008; presents touring Broadway productions; 123 William V. Bill Bell Way in downtown Durham
  • Food hall or market
    In New YorkUnion Square Greenmarket
    In DurhamDurham Farmers' MarketIn Durham Central Park, 501 Foster St; Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon year-round and Wednesdays 3 to 6 p.m. April through November
  • Office and career hub
    In New YorkMidtown and the Financial District
    In DurhamResearch Triangle ParkFounded in 1959; 7,000 acres; more than 300 research, technology and ag-bio companies employing more than 60,000 workers (counts undated on the page)
  • Neighborhood main street
    In New YorkCourt Street, Brooklyn
    In DurhamNinth Street DistrictA district of shops and restaurants; Duke East Campus sits between the Ninth Street District and downtown Durham
  • Ballpark
    In New YorkYankee Stadium and Citi Field
    In DurhamDurham Bulls Athletic ParkOpened in 1995 in downtown Durham; expanded to 10,000 seats for the 1998 season; home of the Triple-A Durham Bulls
  • Day trip to nature
    In New YorkHudson Valley
    In DurhamEno River State ParkIn Durham and Orange counties, 10 miles northwest of downtown Durham

See how Durham ranks for your household

Answer a few quick questions and see how Durham ranks against 53 other cities for your household.

See how Durham ranks for you

Is Durham a good place to live?

Durham fits families who want prices 2% below the US average and mild winters. The main trade-off is homes list 10% above the US median. Here is what you gain and what you give up.

What you gain

  • Prices 2% below the US averageEveryday prices, rent included, index at 97.6 against a US average of 100.BEA regional price parities, 2024
  • Mild wintersJanuary lows average 31.8°F with 5.2 inches of snow a year.NOAA 1991-2020 normals
  • Nonstop flights to New YorkFrom RDU to JFK, LGA, EWR.Airport route page, October 13, 2026
  • A real job marketResearch Triangle ParkSlower Sundays city profile
  • University townDuke UniversitySlower Sundays city profile

What you trade

  • Homes list 10% above the US median$460,135 median listing against $419,250 nationally.Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026
  • Hot summersJuly highs average 90.8°F.NOAA 1991-2020 normals

Is Durham, NC a good place to live? Read the full pros and cons

More on Durham and North Carolina

Show 7 links

Durham cost of living: questions people ask

What is the cost of living in Durham, NC?

The median listed home in Durham is $460,135 (Realtor.com, September 2026), 10% above the US median of $419,250. With 20% down at 7.32%, principal and interest come to about $2,529 a month. The median 2-bedroom rent is $1,630 a month, utilities included (Census, 2025). Everyday prices index at 97.6, where the US average is 100 (BEA, 2024). A $150,000 salary in New York buys the same as $130,023 here.

How much would I save moving from New York to Durham?

The median listed home is $460,135 in Durham against $742,000 in the New York metro, 38% less. On a mortgage for each median home, that is about $1,549 a month less in principal and interest (20% down, 7.32%, Freddie Mac, October 22, 2026).

How much is rent in Durham?

The median gross rent for a 2-bedroom in the Durham metro is $1,630 a month, including utilities the renter pays (Census American Community Survey, 2025). In the New York metro it is $1,997, $367 more. The US median is $1,563.

What salary in Durham matches $150,000 in New York?

$130,023. That is $150,000 adjusted by the BEA regional price parities for both metros (97.6 in Durham, 112.6 in New York, 2024).

Does Durham pay you to move there?

None of the relocation incentive programs we track cover Durham as of October 2026.

What is the weather like in Durham?

January lows average 31.8°F and July highs 90.8°F, with 5.2 inches of snow a year (NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Raleigh-Durham International Airport).

Notes on the numbers
  1. 1Home prices: the typical home is the median listing price, with price per square foot, from Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026. The comparison metro uses the same series and month.
  2. 2Monthly cost: Principal and interest on the median listed home with 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026). Excludes taxes, insurance and HOA. Rate source
  3. 3Rent: Census ACS 2025 1-year, median gross rent for 2-bedroom units (rent plus utilities). Covers all renters, including long-time tenants, not only new leases. Census table
  4. 4Commute: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table S0801, mean travel time to work (one way, workers who do not work from home), 2025. Hours back assume a 5-day round trip. Census table
  5. 5At a glance: a difference within 5% counts as about the same.
  6. 6Everyday prices, housing costs and the matching salary: BEA regional price parities, 2024, US = 100.
  7. 7Flights: airport route pages, October 2026.
  8. 8Weather: NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
Sources for this page