Raleigh Cost of Living: 3% Below National Average, Driven by Housing and Utilities
If you and your partner are weighing Raleigh against Austin or Denver, there is one document worth reading before you do anything else. The C2ER Cost of Living Index, last updated June 2025, puts Raleigh's overall cost of living roughly 3% below the national average. Austin clocks in at roughly 4% below it. Denver sits about 10% above it. (Source: C2ER 2025 Annual Average via Orlando Economic Partnership)
That gap between Raleigh and Denver is not marginal. It compounds across every expense category, every month.
What the Index Actually Measures
The C2ER index uses 100 as the national baseline. Raleigh's composite score is approximately 97, meaning it runs modestly below the national average, and the subcategory breakdown is where the real story lives. Austin's composite is approximately 96 and Denver's is approximately 110, reflecting that Austin has modestly lower costs than the national average while Denver carries a meaningful premium. (Source: C2ER 2025 Annual Average via Orlando Economic Partnership)
The data on this page, as apartments.com notes, is sourced directly from the C2ER Cost of Living Index and was last published in June 2025.
Housing: Below the National Average
Housing is where Raleigh's advantage is clearest. C2ER data shows housing in Raleigh running meaningfully below the national average — the largest single driver pulling the metro's composite index under 100.
Raleigh's median listing price sits at $449,900 with 46 days on market and 1.6 months of supply, according to the most recent FRED data for the metro. At today's 30-year fixed rate of 6.23% (Source: Freddie Mac PMMS, April 23, 2026), that is a real number to stress-test before you book moving trucks.
Austin and Denver both saw aggressive price appreciation during the pandemic era, and while both have cooled, Denver's housing index remains elevated. For a detailed look at how Austin's construction cycle is affecting rents there, see our Austin Construction Boom and Rent Decline Case Study.
Utilities: Below Average, Every Month
This is the line most affordability comparisons skip. C2ER data shows Raleigh utilities running below the national average — a quiet but durable advantage that compounds month after month against higher-cost metros.
The Comparison at a Glance
| Category | Raleigh vs. U.S. Average |
|---|---|
| Overall index | ~3% below (index ~97) |
| Housing | Below average (C2ER subcategory) |
| Utilities | Below average (C2ER subcategory) |
| Transportation | Below average (C2ER subcategory) |
| Groceries | Slightly above average |
| Healthcare | Above average |
Source: C2ER Cost of Living Index, June 2025 update (via apartments.com). Austin composite ~96, Denver composite ~110 per C2ER 2025 Annual Average (Source: Orlando Economic Partnership, April 2025).
The Asterisk: Healthcare
Raleigh's healthcare costs run above the national average. C2ER data puts the premium at roughly 12.7% for homeowners, rising to about 14.1% above average for married couples with school-age children.
That is the one category that genuinely erodes the city's broader affordability advantage. Budget for it, not around it.
The counterpoint is access. Raleigh is part of the Research Triangle healthcare network, with Duke Health, UNC Health, and WakeMed all within reach. For families relocating from areas with thinner healthcare infrastructure, the quality of that access can matter as much as the cost.
Who the Raleigh Advantage Actually Holds For
The housing and utilities savings compound most for households that are purchasing and staying. If you are renting short-term, the picture is more mixed. Raleigh's rental market has tightened, with 4,709 active listings across the metro and only 1.6 months of supply.
For renters, downtown and North Hills sit at the top of the local rent band. Suburban areas trade commute time for meaningfully lower rents.
Families with children need to factor in that healthcare premium. The ~14.1% above-average bite for couples with school-age kids partially offsets the utility and housing savings. The net is still favorable, but not by as much as the headline index implies.
Singles and young professionals in Raleigh's tech sector — IBM, Cisco, and Red Hat all have significant presence here — tend to see the clearest cost advantage: lower housing, lower utilities, and a transportation index running below the national average.
Running the Numbers on Raleigh
Raleigh's C2ER composite of approximately 97 compares directly against Austin's ~96 and Denver's ~110. (Source: C2ER 2025 Annual Average via Orlando Economic Partnership) The housing and utilities savings are structural, not seasonal. The healthcare premium is real and belongs in your budget model.
On the ground, Raleigh offers walkable neighborhoods in North Hills and Cameron Village, a food and arts scene that has grown alongside the tech boom, and access to the Duke and UNC health systems — a genuine upgrade for many households. The city is easy to test before committing.
Run the mortgage numbers against today's 6.23% rate (Source: Freddie Mac PMMS, April 23, 2026) using a mortgage calculator, then book a weekend in Raleigh to see whether the city fits. The cost case is solid. The move still has to feel right.