2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Wilmington, NC vs Carlsbad, CA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Carlsbad or is it cheaper to live in Wilmington?
- Carlsbad is 57.9% more expensive than Wilmington.

Which city has more affordable housing, Carlsbad or Wilmington?
- Carlsbad housing costs are 296.4% more expensive than Wilmington housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Wilmington or is Health Care more affordable in Carlsbad.
- Health related expenses are 25.0% less in Carlsbad.
 Wilmington, NCCarlsbad, CAUnited States
 Overall  Unlock154.9100
 Food & Groceries99.9  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock89.0100
 Housing98.8  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$1,320,200$338,100
 Utilities97  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock125.6100
 Miscellaneous110.4  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Wilmington    71 Reviews

I was born here and I will update more at a later time. First and most important, teh average cost of a 1br apt in Wilmington is approximately $1,800. Rentals have  More

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I think that a lot has changed since covid for this city and will continue to keep changing with our insane economy. But I was born and raised in Wilmington and have  More

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Scotty · 

Wilmington NC was once a wonderful city filled with Southern charm, history, safety and natural beauty. Recently that has been replaced by erasing everything Southern or  More

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Reviews for Carlsbad    38 Reviews

I've lived in Carlsbad (92008) for 8 years now and really appreciate all that it has to offer. Yes, ALL of San Diego County is expensive, but Carlsbad has [possibly]  More

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Over 4 years ago

Carlson has the worst winters. It averages about 10 meters of snow per week. Every shop is  More

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Ok, I get it, the climate is mild and tolerable but even that is over-rated when you consider how many cloudy days there are in this town. The sun coming out at 3 and  More

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