USA Cost of Living Compare US cities and states with official data

North Carolina vs Florida: cost of living compared

Statewide price levels and incomes from BEA (2024); gas prices from EIA (weekly).

Is it cheaper to live in North Carolina or Florida?

  • Overall, Florida is 9.6% more expensive than North Carolina (BEA, 2024).
  • To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in North Carolina works out to about $82,200 in Florida, before taxes.
  • Most of the difference is housing, which costs 50.1% more in Florida. Goods are 1.5% higher and other services 3.2% higher.
  • After adjusting for local prices, personal income per person is $57,131 in Florida and $56,310 in North Carolina (1.5% higher in Florida; BEA, 2024, in 2017 dollars).
  • Inside each state, metro price levels run from 85.4 in The Villages, FL to 114.2 in Miami, FL (Florida) and from 88.0 in Rocky Mount, NC to 98.2 in Raleigh, NC (North Carolina), US = 100.
  • The gap is about where it was in 2019 (8.5%).

derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities and real personal income by state. Statewide averages mix cities and rural areas; taxes are not included. How we calculate.

Try your own salary

18% matches BEA's average basket. Set your own share if housing takes more or less of your budget.

Category by category

Both states against the US average (100).

Housing drives the gap: 50.1% higher in Florida than in North Carolina

Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.

  • North Carolina
  • Florida
All items
94.3 103.4
Goods
96.6 98.1
Housing (rents)
81.4 122.1
Utilities
88.6 90.1
Other services
98.2 101.3

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
North CarolinaFlorida
All items94.3103.4
Goods96.698.1
Housing (rents)81.4122.1
Utilities88.690.1
Other services98.2101.3
CategoryNorth CarolinaFloridaFlorida vs North Carolina
All items94.3103.4+9.6%
Goods96.698.1+1.5%
Housing (rents)81.4122.1+50.1%
Utilities88.690.1+1.6%
Other services98.2101.3+3.2%
Income per person, adjusted for prices $56,310 $57,131 +1.5%
Regular gas, week of October 19, 2026* $3.86 $3.98 +3.1%
Salary to match $75,000 in North Carolina $75,000 $82,200 +9.6%

Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Income: BEA real personal income per person, 2017 dollars. Gas: EIA weekly retail prices. *Lower Atlantic region average (EIA has no separate North Carolina figure).

Cheapest and most expensive places in each state

North Carolina

  1. Rocky Mount, NC 88.0
  2. Pinehurst, NC 88.3
  3. Greenville, NC 88.4
  4. Goldsboro, NC 88.5
  5. Hickory, NC 88.5
  6. Fayetteville, NC 92.0
  7. Winston-Salem, NC 92.0
  8. Jacksonville, NC 92.1
  9. Greensboro, NC 92.9
  10. Burlington, NC 93.2
  11. Wilmington, NC 96.4
  12. Asheville, NC 96.5
  13. Charlotte, NC 97.3
  14. Durham, NC 97.6
  15. Virginia Beach, VA 97.9
  16. Raleigh, NC 98.2

Florida

  1. The Villages, FL 85.4
  2. Sebring, FL 92.5
  3. Homosassa Springs, FL 93.5
  4. Tallahassee, FL 93.9
  5. Ocala, FL 95.2
  6. Gainesville, FL 96.7
  7. Crestview, FL 97.0
  8. Lakeland, FL 97.1
  9. Panama City, FL 97.3
  10. Pensacola, FL 97.7
  11. Sebastian, FL 98.3
  12. Deltona, FL 99.4
  13. Jacksonville, FL 99.5
  14. Palm Bay, FL 100.0
  15. Port St. Lucie, FL 100.2
  16. Punta Gorda, FL 100.5
  17. Tampa, FL 100.9
  18. Orlando, FL 101.4
  19. Cape Coral, FL 102.3
  20. North Port, FL 102.4
  21. Naples, FL 103.2
  22. Miami, FL 114.2

Metro areas ordered from cheapest to most expensive. BEA, 2024, US = 100.

How the gap has changed since 2008

The price gap between North Carolina and Florida has been fairly stable since 2008

Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.

  • North Carolina
  • Florida
US average = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
North CarolinaFlorida
200892.4101.7
200991.3100.5
201092.9100.4
201193.6100.8
201293.5101.1
201393.7100.7
201493.8100.9
201593.6101.3
201693.8101.1
201793.0100.9
201892.9100.3
201991.999.6
202091.3100.6
202193.7101.4
202294.0102.3
202394.4103.6
202494.3103.4

Goods

  • North Carolina
  • Florida
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
North CarolinaFlorida
200896.698.9
200994.397.0
201096.997.3
201196.497.4
201295.698.0
201396.098.6
201495.798.3
201595.097.4
201695.997.5
201795.798.4
201895.797.7
201995.796.1
202095.497.4
202196.298.4
202295.698.0
202396.898.2
202496.698.1

Housing (rents)

  • North Carolina
  • Florida
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
North CarolinaFlorida
200874.3115.1
200975.3111.0
201075.4108.7
201176.3108.2
201275.8108.8
201376.0107.4
201476.3108.2
201575.8109.3
201674.7109.4
201775.5110.5
201875.3110.7
201975.4112.0
202075.0113.6
202176.0112.9
202278.8116.3
202380.8123.2
202481.4122.1

Utilities

  • North Carolina
  • Florida
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
North CarolinaFlorida
200885.498.6
200985.5101.2
201087.696.2
201187.395.3
201290.593.5
201389.893.6
201490.495.3
201591.092.4
201688.489.9
201785.487.5
201886.891.1
201989.294.4
202087.789.8
202184.690.0
202282.594.8
202383.693.7
202488.690.1

Other services

  • North Carolina
  • Florida
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
North CarolinaFlorida
200897.799.0
200996.699.0
201098.199.8
201199.5101.0
201299.9100.9
2013100.0100.3
2014100.2100.5
2015100.3101.8
2016100.7101.3
201798.8100.1
201898.399.2
201995.898.3
202095.598.8
202199.6100.4
202299.7101.2
202398.7101.5
202498.2101.3

What incomes buy in each state

Income per person after adjusting for prices: $57,131 in Florida, $56,310 in North Carolina

Real personal income per person, constant 2017 dollars (adjusted for each state's price level and for inflation).

  • North Carolina
  • Florida
  • United States

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, real personal income by state (SARPI), 2008–2024.

Show the numbers
North CarolinaFloridaUnited States
2008$45,858$43,259$45,816
2009$44,321$41,209$44,204
2010$42,691$42,735$44,808
2011$42,462$43,268$45,957
2012$44,038$43,189$46,796
2013$42,463$42,278$46,358
2014$43,820$43,812$47,661
2015$45,796$45,693$49,396
2016$46,302$46,126$49,828
2017$47,646$48,141$51,006
2018$48,676$49,935$52,242
2019$50,966$52,128$53,683
2020$54,346$53,897$56,514
2021$56,146$56,789$59,365
2022$54,204$55,163$57,104
2023$54,748$56,138$58,088
2024$56,310$57,131$59,195

More

Related state comparisons

What this comparison leaves out

  • Taxes. State income, sales and property taxes differ a lot between states and are not included.
  • Where you live inside the state. Statewide figures average cities and rural areas; the metro lists above show the spread.
  • Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider if housing is a bigger share of your budget.
  • Timing. BEA price levels and incomes are for 2024; gas prices are weekly.

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