Cost of living in Cary
compared to
Cost of living in Cary vs. United States overall average
Cary is 3.7% more expensive than United States overall.
- Restaurants
-
pay 1.2% more in Cary
- Groceries
-
pay 17.7% more in Cary
- Transportation
-
pay 25.5% less in Cary
- Housing
-
pay 5.6% less in Cary
- Childcare
-
pay 12.8% more in Cary
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 16.0% more in Cary
- Clothing
-
pay 9.5% more in Cary
The cost of groceries, entertainment and sports, childcare, clothing, and restaurants in Cary are more expensive than in United States. Expenses including transportation and housing are lower in Cary.
Cary Cost of Living Breakdown
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant | $15.00 |
$8.76
-
$40.00
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$9.50 |
$7.00
-
$12.00
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) | $2.75 |
$2.25
-
$3.00
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) | $2.42 |
$2.00
-
$3.00
|
Cary - Cost of restaurants
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$5.18 |
$2.20
-
$6.61
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) | $7.82 |
$5.83
-
$9.92
|
| Milk (1 gallon) | $4.08 |
$2.50
-
$8.00
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$4.50 |
$4.00
-
$4.99
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) | $6.59 |
$4.00
-
$10.00
|
| Apples (1 lb) | $2.43 |
$2.00
-
$3.00
|
| Bananas (1 lb) | $0.98 |
$0.49
-
$1.50
|
| Oranges (1 lb) | $2.50 |
??
-
??
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | $3.18 |
$2.75
-
$3.79
|
| Potatoes (1 lb) | $1.05 |
$0.50
-
$1.59
|
| Onions (1 lb) | $1.15 |
$0.90
-
$1.39
|
Cary - Cost of groceries
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | $3.17 |
$2.91
-
$3.35
|
| Monthly public transit pass | $40.00 |
??
-
??
|
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) | ?? |
??
-
??
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) | ?? |
??
-
??
|
Cary - Cost of transportation
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$54.83 |
$40.00
-
$70.00
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area | $1,494.67 |
$1,250.00
-
$1,800.00
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center | $1,450.00 |
$1,400.00
-
$1,500.00
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$154.52 |
$126.75
-
$175.88
|
Cary - Cost of housing
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly | $1,525.00 |
$1,350.00
-
$1,700.00
|
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters | ?? |
??
-
??
|
Cary - Cost of childcare
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) | $5.00 |
$3.75
-
$12.00
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area | $5.75 |
$4.00
-
$8.00
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
?? |
??
-
??
|
| Monthly membership at local gym | $76.50 |
$65.00
-
$88.00
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema | $15.00 |
$12.50
-
$15.00
|
Cary - Cost of entertainment and sports
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$37.00 |
$24.00
-
$50.00
|
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$32.50 |
$25.00
-
$40.00
|
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$138.33 |
$100.00
-
$150.00
|
| Men's business shoes (leather) | $136.67 |
$84.00
-
$190.00
|
Cary - Cost of clothing
Tip: Try viewing our aggregate cost of living in North Carolina
to see the average cost of cities throughout North Carolina, like
Candor,
Sanford,
Greenville,
Highlands,
New Bern,
and more.
For a detailed breakdown of Santa Cruz vs. the national average, see the cost of living in United States compared to Cary.
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