same $100k income, fresh start from Melbourne
changea dispatch from
durham
NC
35.99°N
78.90°W
Durham is Duke University, old tobacco warehouses turned into incredible restaurants and breweries (the American Tobacco Campus is a model for adaptive reuse), and a food scene that punches way above its size (multiple James Beard winners). Bull City pride runs deep. The Eno River and Duke Gardens are right in town. It's more diverse, weirder, and more interesting than outsiders expect.
the verdict
pricier each month than Melbourne
Almost a wash on cost. The case for Durham is about what you'd do there, not what you'd save.
a quick ledger.
$1,684/mo
11% cheaper than Melbourne(vs $1,895/mo)
4.5%
$375/mo more in state tax than Melbourne
vs 0% in Melbourne
$6,274/mo
$164 less than Melbourne
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$415k
18% more expensive than Melbourne
vs $351k in Melbourne
609k
vs 644k in Melbourne
field notes, weather & such.
178
pleasant days a year, in durham.
Melbourne edges ahead with 254 pleasant days.
50/100
9% lower than Melbourne
vs 55/100 in Melbourne
Closest outdoor draw: William B. Umstead State Park, 10.9 mi.
80/100
5% lower than Melbourne
vs 84/100 in Melbourne
39
1850% more than Melbourne
vs 2 nonstops in Melbourne
neighbors of durham on the map of tradeoffs:
compare durham with:
