$100k a year, no longer in San Luis Obispo
changea dispatch from
raleigh
NC
35.78°N
78.64°W
Raleigh is the third leg of the Research Triangle, full of oaks (its nickname is the City of Oaks), state museums that are all free, and a downtown that's grown up fast without losing its quiet edges. NC State pumps young energy in, the food scene is sneaky-good, and the surrounding pine forests make summer evenings smell incredible. Beaches are two hours east, mountains three hours west.
in our guides
the verdict
less monthly outlay than San Luis Obispo
Raleigh is the kind of cheap that changes the math. Same salary, a different life on the other side.
a quick ledger.
$1,663/mo
46% cheaper than San Luis Obispo(vs $3,095/mo)
4.5%
$400/mo less in state tax than San Luis Obispo
vs 9.3% in San Luis Obispo
$6,295/mo
$1,832 more than San Luis Obispo
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$440k
53% cheaper than San Luis Obispo
vs $934k in San Luis Obispo
1.5M
vs 282k in San Luis Obispo
field notes, weather & such.
201
pleasant days a year, in raleigh.
San Luis Obispo has the edge here, logging 303 pleasant days a year.
A month here packs 4.7× the events of San Luis Obispo.
58/100
15% lower than San Luis Obispo
vs 68/100 in San Luis Obispo
Closest outdoor draw: William B. Umstead State Park, 9.9 mi.
97/100
1% lower than San Luis Obispo
vs 98/100 in San Luis Obispo
39
1200% more than San Luis Obispo
vs 3 nonstops in San Luis Obispo
neighbors of raleigh on the map of tradeoffs:
