Cost of Living in Greensboro, NC, United States

Updated On December 28, 2025
Cost of Living Index:
74.2
* Based on Research & User Data

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How Much Does It Cost to Live in Greensboro, NC?

Greensboro is a city located in North Carolina.

It has recently gained a newfound reputation as a great place for young people.

Downtown especially is experiencing a real influx of bars, music venues, and restaurants.

There are some high-end employers who have transferred their businesses to Greensboro, but most people prefer to live outside of Greensboro where it is cheaper and you can get more property for the money.

Greensboro is a great city but keep in mind it is geared toward families and college kids.

Cost of Living Breakdown in Greensboro, NC

Restaurants

RESTAURANTS

There are all sorts of restaurants, from the very top quality to the cheaper ones, and all types of ethnic foods are available, with a surprising cluster of Mexican and Thai places, for a city of only about 200,000 people.

As for going out and eating in restaurants, the amount of money you spend is up to you, and if you want to save up, you can always go to one of the chain fast food places.

Average Restaurant Prices
Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) $20.0
Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) $3.00
Water (0.33 Liter) $1.25
Markets

MARKETS

Living (and eating) expense again depends on your standard of living but in general, your monthly expense could come out to be somewhere between 200$ – this is if you’re being thrifty and smart about your food, and not splurging around.

If you plan on cooking, keep in mind that you’ll save a lot of money that way.

Average Market Prices
Milk (1 Liter) $0.84
Loaf Bread (500g) $3.41
Eggs (12) $2.35
Transportation

TRANSPORTATION

Greensboro offers public bus service through the Greensboro Transit Authority.

Public transportation here, according to the people that live here, is pretty bad and the city is very spread out for its size.

Bus service leaves a lot to be desired, not to be counted upon, and a car is absolutely necessary if you want to get anywhere.

Maybe this is why the public transport service is very cheap.

Average Transport Prices
One Way Ticket $1.50
Monthly Pass $75.00
Gasoline $0.92
Utilities

UTILITIES (MONTHLY)

Including electricity, water, garbage, heating and cooling, basic monthly utilities don’t cost as much as they do in some other cities and they really don’t take up a lot of the people’s salaries.

For an apartment around 85m2 (which is definitely bigger than a usual apartment for one or two people), these will cost you 180$ approximately.

Average Utilities Prices
Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) $175.24
1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local $0.10
Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) $69.62
Sports and leisure

SPORTS & LEISURE

Young people love to take care of themselves, so a considerable part of their monthly salaries is spent on sports activities.

A membership at the gym or a fitness club can’t go by without you cashing out around 53$, while movie lovers will pay a somewhat cheaper price than in some other cities in North Carolina – around 15$ per person for a cinema ticket.

Average Leisure Prices
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult $52.50
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) $30.00
Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release $14.50
Clothing and shoes

CLOTHING & SHOES

There are a number of unique shops along South Elm Street downtown, as well as numerous shopping malls scattered throughout the city.

The shopping leaves a little to be desired as well, although the neighboring areas have a better selection.

If you want a pair of Levi’s, it will cost you around 33$, though.

Quality sneakers cost around 70$.

Average Clothing Prices
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) $33.33
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) $30.00
1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) $68.57
Rent per month

RENT PER MONTH

If you’re looking to rent an apartment and save some money, you will need to stroll out of the city center and here you can rent one for around 1200$ which is actually relatively low for America’s average rent price.

However, prepare another 250$ if you’re looking for a one or two-room apartment in the city center.

Average Rent Prices
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center $1450.00
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center $1200.00
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center $2200.00

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

An average citizen of Greensboro spends most of his or her money on food, in markets and grocery stores. As we mentioned, you can count on 200$ a week going on food, if you have a family and not living as a student.

And if you want to shop for food without saving up and worrying about every penny, your monthly food expenses can reach more than 250$ a week.

Next on the list of biggest expenses in Greensboro is rent – which is actually relatively cheap in this city but even so – it’s a huge financial responsibility.

Restaurants and transportation go side by side like in most countries – though restaurants don’t need to be pricey if you choose food economically.

Finally, the last on the list is, as per usual, clothing and sports.

Average Costs Breakdown

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Greensboro, NC: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages

Citizens of Greensboro have a relatively reasonable minimum wage which allows them to cover their rent and additional expenses without stress.

Their monthly average net salary is around 4,162.40$, which basically means that, for the most part, people that live here can manage their salary so they can pay everything up front, live comfortably, and not worry about making ends meet.

However, rent is still pretty expensive in some parts of the city, compared to other expenses so, those that are renting will save up much less from their salary.

The minimum wage in Greensboro is around 1200$.

Average Salary$4162.40
Minimum Wage$1256.67
Mortgage Interest Rate6.70%

Greensboro Safety Overview

READ THE FULL REPORT: Greensboro Safety Review

Greensboro
Safety Index:
77
OVERALL RISKLOW
TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISKLOW
PICKPOCKETS RISKLOW
NATURAL DISASTERS RISKLOW
MUGGING RISKMEDIUM
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1 Review on Greensboro, NC

  1. The rising costs in Greensboro are definitely something to think about. It’s exciting to see the growth, but I hope it doesn’t push out the folks who’ve called it home for years.

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

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