Raleigh, NC vs Charleston, SC Cost of Living (2026)

Raleigh has a cost of living index of 94.7, about 5.3% below the national average. Housing runs below the national baseline, with a housing index of 87.5. Typical apartment rent is about $1,492 a month, and median home values are around $453,944. The median household income is approximately $72,000. Raleigh has seen rapid growth driven by the Research Triangle Park corridor, which houses major employers in technology, pharmaceuticals, and research.

A $100,000 salary in an average-cost city stretches to about $105,600 in Raleigh. That extra room can make it easier to save, pay down debt, or stretch for a better housing setup. Most everyday categories stay manageable here, although healthcare still runs a bit high.

North Carolina has a flat state income tax of 4.5%, which is straightforward and relatively low. There is no Raleigh city income tax. Sales tax in Wake County runs about 7.25%. Property taxes in Wake County are moderate, with effective rates around 0.8 to 1.0% of assessed value.

One specific dynamic in Raleigh: the growth of Research Triangle Park companies has created significant salary variation within the metro. Tech workers at IBM, Cisco, or SAS often earn $120,000 to $180,000 or more, while service, healthcare support, and government workers may earn $45,000 to $70,000. The same apartment costs the same for both groups, so workers at the lower end of the income spectrum face more budget pressure than the city-level median income suggests.