Cost of Living Comparison Between Washington, DC and Charlotte, NC 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Charlotte, NC is 18.2% lower than in Washington, DC (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Charlotte, NC is 24.3% lower than in Washington, DC | |
| Rent Prices in Charlotte, NC are 33.2% lower than in Washington, DC | |
| Restaurant Prices in Charlotte, NC are 26.0% lower than in Washington, DC | |
| Groceries Prices in Charlotte, NC are 9.4% lower than in Washington, DC | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Charlotte, NC is 0.5% lower than in Washington, DC | |
Restaurants | Washington, DC Edit |
Charlotte, NC Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 25.00 $ | 18.00 $ | -28.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 120.00 $ | 80.00 $ | -33.3 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 12.00 $ | 10.00 $ | -16.7 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 8.00 $ | 6.00 $ | -25.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 10.00 $ | 7.90 $ | -21.0 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.63 $ | 4.94 $ | -12.3 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.02 $ | 2.51 $ | -16.9 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.67 $ | 1.95 $ | -26.8 % |
Markets | Washington, DC Edit |
Charlotte, NC Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 4.28 $ | 3.93 $ | -8.1 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 4.04 $ | 3.47 $ | -14.2 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 3.15 $ | 1.88 $ | -40.5 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 4.26 $ | 4.55 $ | +6.7 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 7.73 $ | 7.70 $ | -0.4 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 6.96 $ | 7.22 $ | +3.7 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 8.64 $ | 7.69 $ | -11.0 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.75 $ | 2.75 $ | +0.1 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.91 $ | 0.69 $ | -24.2 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.36 $ | 2.96 $ | +25.4 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.84 $ | 1.88 $ | -34.0 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.54 $ | 1.70 $ | +10.3 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.69 $ | 1.26 $ | -25.4 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 2.59 $ | 1.79 $ | -30.7 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.51 $ | 1.91 $ | -23.7 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 16.00 $ | 15.00 $ | -6.2 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.87 $ | 2.11 $ | -26.3 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 4.58 $ | 3.23 $ | -29.6 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 12.50 $ | 9.00 $ | -28.0 % |
Transportation | Washington, DC Edit |
Charlotte, NC Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.50 $ | 2.20 $ | -12.0 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 75.00 $ | 88.00 $ | +17.3 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 4.00 $ | 3.00 $ | -25.0 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 4.00 $ | 3.00 $ | -25.0 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 30.00 $ | 30.00 $ | -0.0 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 3.45 $ | 3.23 $ | -6.5 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 30,000.00 $ | 34,689.37 $ | +15.6 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 25,775.73 $ | 24,748.92 $ | -4.0 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Washington, DC Edit |
Charlotte, NC Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 208.70 $ | 156.99 $ | -24.8 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 59.67 $ | 54.77 $ | -8.2 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 68.08 $ | 72.07 $ | +5.9 % |
Sports And Leisure | Washington, DC Edit |
Charlotte, NC Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 110.59 $ | 51.90 $ | -53.1 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 38.41 $ | 18.33 $ | -52.3 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 17.00 $ | 14.00 $ | -17.6 % |
Childcare | Washington, DC Edit |
Charlotte, NC Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,685.75 $ | 1,328.67 $ | -50.5 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 40,166.67 $ | 24,700.00 $ | -38.5 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Washington, DC Edit |
Charlotte, NC Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 79.65 $ | 48.20 $ | -39.5 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 50.22 $ | 41.83 $ | -16.7 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 102.51 $ | 103.57 $ | +1.0 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 144.31 $ | 161.66 $ | +12.0 % |
Rent Per Month | Washington, DC Edit |
Charlotte, NC Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,539.00 $ | 1,912.50 $ | -24.7 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 2,085.83 $ | 1,589.00 $ | -23.8 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 5,909.38 $ | 3,790.36 $ | -35.9 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 4,200.94 $ | 2,556.56 $ | -39.1 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Washington, DC Edit |
Charlotte, NC Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 700.01 $ | 359.32 $ | -48.7 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 571.34 $ | 249.51 $ | -56.3 % |
Salaries And Financing | Washington, DC Edit |
Charlotte, NC Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 5,952.95 $ | 4,487.08 $ | -24.6 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.48 | 6.50 | +0.2 % |
| Last update: | May 2025 | May 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 143 | 74 |
Moving to Washington, DC? Explore:
Moving to Charlotte, NC? Explore:
Cities near Washington, DC: | Cost of Living in Arlington, Virginia | 4.38 miles |
| Cost of Living in Chevy Chase, Maryland | 7.01 miles |
| Cost of Living in Springfield, Virginia | 13.51 miles |
| Cost of Living in Rockville, Maryland | 17.91 miles |
| Cost of Living in Baltimore, Maryland | 38.92 miles |
| Cost of Living in Fredericksburg, Virginia | 52.45 miles |
| Cost of Living in Lexington Park, Maryland | 61.00 miles |
| Cost of Living in Richmond, Virginia | 106.83 miles |
| Cost of Living in Lancaster, Pennsylvania | 113.70 miles |
| Cost of Living in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | 117.62 miles |
Cities near Charlotte, NC: | Cost of Living in Winston-Salem, North Carolina | 79.19 miles |
| Cost of Living in Greensboro, North Carolina | 92.61 miles |
| Cost of Living in Columbia, South Carolina | 93.12 miles |
| Cost of Living in Greenville, South Carolina | 100.97 miles |
| Cost of Living in Asheville, North Carolina | 129.34 miles |
| Cost of Living in Hope Mills, North Carolina | 134.77 miles |
| Cost of Living in Raleigh, North Carolina | 140.85 miles |
| Cost of Living in Durham, North Carolina | 142.98 miles |
| Cost of Living in Goose Creek, South Carolina | 194.86 miles |
| Cost of Living in Roanoke, Virginia | 196.51 miles |