⚖️ City Comparison

Concord vs Long Beach

Cost of Living Comparison · 2026 Data

Concord

North Carolina
92
Below Average
$263,000
Median Home
$1,200/mo
Median Rent
$50,900
Median Income

Long Beach

California
155
Very Expensive
$700,000
Median Home
$2,200/mo
Median Rent
$60,567
Median Income

💡 The Verdict

41% Cheaper

Concord is 41% cheaper than Long Beach overall. A $75,000 salary in Concord is equivalent to $126,359 in Long Beach.

Category-by-Category Breakdown

Index values for Concord (left) vs Long Beach (right). National average = 100.

Housing
87
Housing
236
Groceries
85
Groceries
106
Utilities
90
Utilities
114
Transportation
91
Transportation
118
Healthcare
89
Healthcare
103

Detailed Price Comparison

Estimated item-level prices in Concord versus Long Beach. Differences shown from Concord perspective.

ItemConcordLong BeachDifference
1-Bed Rent$840/mo$1,580/mo$-740.00
2-Bed Rent$1,200/mo$2,200/mo$-1000.00
3-Bed Rent$1,570/mo$2,950/mo$-1380.00
Bread (loaf)$2.48$3.14$-0.66
Milk (gallon)$3.18$4.19$-1.01
Eggs (dozen)$2.90$3.34$-0.44
Coffee (latte)$4.94$5.87$-0.93
Gas (gallon)$3.14$3.71$-0.57
Restaurant Meal$16.28$20.86$-4.58

💰 Salary Equivalence

A $75,000 salary in Concord has the same purchasing power as $126,359 in Long Beach.

Conversely, $75,000 in Long Beach equals $44,516 in Concord.

💼 Take-Home Pay Comparison

Estimated annual take-home pay on a $75,000 salary after federal, FICA, and state income taxes.

$54,187
Concord (North Carolina)
$52,987
Long Beach (California)

The $1200 difference is driven by California having a higher state income tax rate. North Carolina details → · California details →

⚙️ Customize Your Comparison

Adjust category weights to match your spending priorities.

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Your Weighted Score
92 vs 155

Reading These Numbers: Concord (92) vs Long Beach (155)

Concord at 92 is 8% below the US average, while Long Beach at 155 is 55% above average. There is a meaningful cost gap between these two cities that affects day-to-day budgeting.

In Concord, the composite index of 92 reflects a weighted calculation where housing carries the most influence at 87, followed by groceries (85), utilities (90), transportation (91), and healthcare (89). Costs are fairly balanced across categories.

For renters: With median rents of $1,200/mo in Concord and $2,200/mo in Long Beach, the annual rent difference is approximately $12,000.0. Over a 5-year period, that compounds to $60,000.0 in savings by choosing the more affordable city.

For homebuyers: The $437,000.0 difference in median home prices between Concord and Long Beach translates to meaningful differences in mortgage payments at current rates. Factor this into your budget alongside property taxes and insurance, which also vary by location.

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Making Your Decision: Concord vs Long Beach

Choosing between Concord and Long Beach involves more than just comparing index numbers. Consider how each category aligns with your personal spending patterns. If you work from home, transportation costs matter less than housing and utilities. If you eat out frequently, the groceries index may understate your actual food spending — look at the restaurant meal prices in the detailed comparison table above instead.

The cost gap between Concord and Long Beach reflects thousands of individual pricing differences across housing markets, grocery chains, utility providers, and healthcare networks. No two households experience the same effective cost of living even in the same city, which is why the category breakdown matters more than the headline number. Adjust the lifestyle weighting sliders above to see how your spending priorities shift the comparison between these specific metros.