Cost of Living in Asheville, NC, United States

Updated On June 16, 2023

How Much Does It Cost to Live In Asheville, NC?

When you first visit Asheville, your impression is that this is a very culture-oriented city, being that it has more than 25 art galleries and museums, numerous musicians throughout the city, and performers in the metro area.

The city is friendly and the pleasant atmosphere makes a tourist wish to reside there.

Whether you are a person who did not grow up here, you would probably be curious to find out what Asheville’s cost of living is and to compare it to your home city.

Cost of Living Index:
72.4
* Based on Research & User Data
Restaurants

RESTAURANTS

For the majority of residents, access to outdoor activities in Asheville is the greatest advantage of living here.

However, there are those who prefer dining out to sports, and they can be satisfied with restaurant prices as they are around the nation’s average.

Markets

MARKETS

Calculating the cost of living in any city is a very difficult task, due to the fact that not all people have the same eating and shopping habits, so grocery shopping would highly vary from person to person.

Generally speaking, prices are high, and this would be your biggest expense.

Transportation

TRANSPORTATION

Throughout Asheville, you can either drive, use public transport or walk if you are fond of it, as everything is accessible.

The transportation option which is extremely affordable is the local bus service which costs only $20 per month.

The price of gasoline is higher than in some other cities in the U.S.

Utilities

UTILITIES (MONTHLY)

Lower wages than in the rest of the country result in lower living expenses, and utilities are one category that is less expensive than in other major cities with higher standards of living.

The price of Internet access is still quite high here.

Sports and leisure

SPORTS & LEISURE

The climate in Asheville is great and beautiful weather throughout autumn, spring, and especially summer season are perfect for outdoor activities for both residents and visitors which affects the price of gyms.

Furthermore, a mountain that is above the city is amazing during winter.

Clothing and shoes

CLOTHING & SHOES

The data shows that, on average, only 2% is spent on designer apparel in Asheville,

People rather buy low-cost items than expensive branded clothes, which are available in many boutiques throughout the city, at prices that are around the average for the United States.

Rent per month

RENT PER MONTH

The average cost of rent in Asheville is below the national average, and if the average salaries are taken into consideration, rents are quite high.

The region is developing fast and the population is growing which has caused housing costs to rise.

Cost of Living Averages Table for Asheville, NC

*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.
Average Restaurant Prices
Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant)$21.00
Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter)$8.00
Water (0.33 Liter)$1.75
Average Market Prices
Milk (1 Liter)$0.71096
Loaf Bread (500g)$4.21
Eggs (12)$4.49
Average Transport Prices
One Way Ticket$1.00
Monthly Pass$20.00
Gasoline$0.87
Average Utilities Prices
Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling)$275.03
1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local$0.10
Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL)$71.6
Average Leisure Prices
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult$26.50
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour)$17.50
Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release$12.5
Average Clothing Prices
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable)$65.50
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...)$69.50
1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range)$84.25
Average Rent Prices
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center$2512.50
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center$1524.75
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center$4166.67

How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Asheville, NC?

The whole area is outdoor-friendly, so very little money is spent on sports activities here.

People would rather do them outside than in gyms, which would also save them some money.

Rent and food take an equal amount of money, approximately 33%.

This would depend on your living habits, but the fact is that they are the most expensive and essential categories wherever in the world you decide to go, while clothes are the least important and frequently avoided.

Average Costs Breakdown

12.5%
28.5%
5.3%
7.6%
2.8%
2%
41.4%

Asheville, NC: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages

Those who move here from other parts of the country should determine their salaries with employers in advance, so as to be able to see if that would be enough to cover all the expenses in Asheville.

They should have in mind that salaries are not as high as in other cities in the United States, thus the living habits need to be adjusted to the new situation.

Generally speaking, newcomers appreciate the overall friendliness of this place and are satisfied with the standard of living here.

Average Salary$3480.00
Minimum Wage$1256.7
Mortgage Interest Rate5.43%

Cost of Living by City in Asheville, NC

CityCost of Living Index
Albany, NY72.4
Albuquerque, NM72.4
Anchorage, AK72.4
Ann Arbor, MI72.4
Arlington, TX72.4
Atlanta, GA72.4
Austin, TX72.4
Bakersfield, CA72.4
Baltimore, MD72.4
Bellevue, WA72.4
Bellingham, WA72.4
Berkeley, CA72.4
Birmingham, AL72.4
Boise, ID72.4
Boston, MA72.4
Boulder, CO72.4
Brooklyn, NY72.4
Buffalo, NY72.4
Burlington, VT72.4
Charleston, SC72.4
Charlotte, NC73.33
Chattanooga, TN72.4
Chicago, IL72.4
Cincinnati, OH72.4
Cleveland, OH72.4
Columbia, SC72.4
Columbus, OH72.4
Dallas, TX72.4
Dayton, OH72.4
Denver, CO72.4
Des Moines, IA72.4
Detroit, MI72.4
El Paso, TX72.4
Eugene, OR72.4
Everett, WA72.4
Fayetteville, AR72.4
Fort Myers, FL72.4
Fort Wayne, IN72.4
Fort Worth, TX72.4
Fresno, CA74.2
Gainesville, FL74.2
Grand Rapids, MI74.2
Greensboro, NC74.2
Hartford, CT74.2
Honolulu, HI74.2
Houston, TX74.2
Huntsville, AL74.2
Indianapolis, IN74.2
Irvine, CA74.2
Jacksonville, FL74.2
Jersey City, NJ74.2
Kansas City, MO74.2
Knoxville, TN74.2
Las Vegas, NV74.2
Lexington, KY74.2
Little Rock, AR74.2
Long Beach, CA74.2
Los Angeles, CA74.2
Louisville, KY74.2
Lubbock, TX74.2
Madison, WI74.2
Memphis, TN74.2
Miami, FL74.2
Milwaukee, WI74.2
Minneapolis, MN74.2
Nashville, TN74.2
New Orleans, LA74.2
New York, NY74.2
Oakland, CA74.2
Oklahoma City, OK74.2
Olympia, WA74.2
Orlando, FL74.2
Peoria, IL72.4
Philadelphia, PA72.4
Phoenix, AZ72.4
Pittsburgh, PA72.4
Portland, ME72.4
Portland, OR72.4
Raleigh, NC72.4
Reno, NV72.4
Richmond, VA74.2
Rochester, NY74.2
Sacramento, CA74.2
Saint Louis, MO74.2
Saint Paul, MN74.2
Saint Petersburg, FL74.2
Salem, OR74.2
Salt Lake City, UT74.2
San Antonio, TX74.2
San Diego, CA74.2
San Francisco, CA74.2
San Jose, CA74.2
Santa Barbara, CA74.2
Santa Rosa, CA74.2
Seattle, WA74.2
Spokane, WA74.2
Springfield, MO74.2
Syracuse, NY74.2
Tacoma, WA74.2
Tallahassee, FL74.2
Tampa, FL74.2
Toledo, OH74.2
Tucson, AZ74.2
Tulsa, OK74.2
Vancouver, WA74.2
Virginia Beach, VA74.2
Washington, DC74.2
West Palm Beach, FL74.2
Wichita, KS74.2

Where to Next?

See these related locations:

Or, browse the country/city indexes:

Cost of Living - Country Index Cost of Living - City Index

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