Raleigh, NC

Cost of Living in Raleigh, NC (2026): Rent, Utilities & Take-Home

$3,212/mo in Raleigh. $2,751 left each month. Prices near the US average.

Compare vs Chicago Rank metros from RaleighHow we figure this

Monthly costs

Take-home $5,963/mo.

Taxes$1,933
Rent$1,252
Other living costs$1,960
Left over$2,751

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $94,748
Federal income tax: −$12,459
Social Security and Medicare: −$7,248
State income tax (NC): −$3,485
Take-home pay: $71,556
Effective tax rate: 24.5%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $1,252
Groceries: $384
Getting around: $568
Healthcare: $432
Utilities and internet: $240
Everything else: $336
Total spending: $3,212

Left over each month

$7,896 gross, minus $1,933 in tax and $3,212 in living costs.

$2,751

Average electric bill in North Carolina

About $126 a month for a household using 900 kWh. That is the EIA residential price for North Carolina in 2025, 14¢ per kWh. It is a state average, not a Raleigh utility bill, and the utilities line in the monthly costs above already includes a modelled power cost.

Cost of Living in Raleigh, NC (2026): Rent, Utilities & Take-Home

Monthly costs

Pay and tax, per year

Living costs, per month

Average electric bill in North Carolina

Moving from Raleigh

Take-home by job in Raleigh

Other North Carolina metros

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