Cost of Living in Asheville, NC, United States

Updated On February 17, 2026
Asheville, North Carolina, USA Drone Skyline Aerial
Cost of Living Index:
72.4
* Based on Research & User Data

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Cost of Living in United States

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 Breakdown in Asheville, NC

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.

Average Restaurant Prices
Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) $21.00
Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) $8.00
Water (0.33 Liter) $1.75
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.

Average Market Prices
Milk (1 Liter) $0.71096
Loaf Bread (500g) $4.21
Eggs (12) $4.49
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.

Average Transport Prices
One Way Ticket $1.00
Monthly Pass $20.00
Gasoline $0.87
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.

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
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.

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
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.

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
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.

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 United States

City Cost of Living Index
United States FlagAlbany, NY 72.4
United States FlagAlbuquerque, NM 72.4
United States FlagAnchorage, AK 72.4
United States FlagAnn Arbor, MI 72.4
United States FlagArlington, TX 72.4
United States FlagAtlanta, GA 72.4
United States FlagAustin, TX 72.4
United States FlagBakersfield, CA 72.4
United States FlagBaltimore, MD 72.4
United States FlagBellevue, WA 72.4
United States FlagBellingham, WA 72.4
United States FlagBerkeley, CA 72.4
United States FlagBirmingham, AL 72.4
United States FlagBoise, ID 72.4
United States FlagBoston, MA 72.4
United States FlagBoulder, CO 72.4
United States FlagBrooklyn, NY 72.4
United States FlagBuffalo, NY 72.4
United States FlagBurlington, VT 72.4
United States FlagCharleston, SC 72.4
United States FlagCharlotte, NC 73.33
United States FlagChattanooga, TN 72.4
United States FlagChicago, IL 72.4
United States FlagCincinnati, OH 72.4
United States FlagCleveland, OH 72.4
United States FlagColumbia, SC 72.4
United States FlagColumbus, OH 72.4
United States FlagDallas, TX 72.4
United States FlagDayton, OH 72.4
United States FlagDenver, CO 72.4
United States FlagDes Moines, IA 72.4
United States FlagDetroit, MI 72.4
United States FlagEl Paso, TX 72.4
United States FlagEugene, OR 72.4
United States FlagEverett, WA 72.4
United States FlagFayetteville, AR 72.4
United States FlagFort Myers, FL 72.4
United States FlagFort Wayne, IN 72.4
United States FlagFort Worth, TX 72.4
United States FlagFresno, CA 74.2
United States FlagGainesville, FL 74.2
United States FlagGrand Rapids, MI 74.2
United States FlagGreensboro, NC 74.2
United States FlagHartford, CT 74.2
United States FlagHonolulu, HI 74.2
United States FlagHouston, TX 74.2
United States FlagHuntsville, AL 74.2
United States FlagIndianapolis, IN 74.2
United States FlagIrvine, CA 74.2
United States FlagJacksonville, FL 74.2
United States FlagJersey City, NJ 74.2
United States FlagKansas City, MO 74.2
United States FlagKnoxville, TN 74.2
United States FlagLas Vegas, NV 74.2
United States FlagLexington, KY 74.2
United States FlagLittle Rock, AR 74.2
United States FlagLong Beach, CA 74.2
United States FlagLos Angeles, CA 74.2
United States FlagLouisville, KY 74.2
United States FlagLubbock, TX 74.2
United States FlagMadison, WI 74.2
United States FlagMemphis, TN 74.2
United States FlagMiami, FL 74.2
United States FlagMilwaukee, WI 74.2
United States FlagMinneapolis, MN 74.2
United States FlagNashville, TN 74.2
United States FlagNew Orleans, LA 74.2
United States FlagNew York, NY 74.2
United States FlagOakland, CA 74.2
United States FlagOklahoma City, OK 74.2
United States FlagOlympia, WA 74.2
United States FlagOrlando, FL 74.2
United States FlagPeoria, IL 72.4
United States FlagPhiladelphia, PA 72.4
United States FlagPhoenix, AZ 72.4
United States FlagPittsburgh, PA 72.4
United States FlagPortland, ME 72.4
United States FlagPortland, OR 72.4
United States FlagRaleigh, NC 72.4
United States FlagReno, NV 72.4
United States FlagRichmond, VA 74.2
United States FlagRochester, NY 74.2
United States FlagSacramento, CA 74.2
United States FlagSaint Louis, MO 74.2
United States FlagSaint Paul, MN 74.2
United States FlagSaint Petersburg, FL 74.2
United States FlagSalem, OR 74.2
United States FlagSalt Lake City, UT 74.2
United States FlagSan Antonio, TX 74.2
United States FlagSan Diego, CA 74.2
United States FlagSan Francisco, CA 74.2
United States FlagSan Jose, CA 74.2
United States FlagSanta Barbara, CA 74.2
United States FlagSanta Rosa, CA 74.2
United States FlagSeattle, WA 74.2
United States FlagSpokane, WA 74.2
United States FlagSpringfield, MO 74.2
United States FlagSyracuse, NY 74.2
United States FlagTacoma, WA 74.2
United States FlagTallahassee, FL 74.2
United States FlagTampa, FL 74.2
United States FlagToledo, OH 74.2
United States FlagTucson, AZ 74.2
United States FlagTulsa, OK 74.2
United States FlagVancouver, WA 74.2
United States FlagVirginia Beach, VA 74.2
United States FlagWashington, DC 74.2
United States FlagWest Palm Beach, FL 74.2
United States FlagWichita, KS 74.2

Where to Next?

Or, browse the country/city indexes:

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

1 Review on Asheville, NC

  1. It’s easy to get swept up in the charm and culture of Asheville, but I can’t help but wonder about the costs of living there. All this art and music sounds amazing, but how much does it really set you back? I mean, friendly vibes are great, but can the average person actually afford to live in such a trendy spot?

Asheville, NC Rated 4 / 5 based on 1 user reviews.

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