Overall
- Burlington
- 93.2
- Morgantown
- 93.3
Diff +0.1 RPP
Burlington vs Morgantown
Cost of living comparison based on BEA Regional Price Parities. Morgantown is 0.1% more expensive than Burlington.
0.1% more expensive
Morgantown, WV is 0.1% more expensive than Burlington, NC on BEA Regional Price Parities (overall RPP 93.3 vs 93.2). A $100,000 salary in Burlington buys about the same as $100,136 in Morgantown; the largest component gap is rents.
- Overall RPP 93.2 (Burlington) vs 93.3 (Morgantown)
- $100k in Burlington ≈ $100,136 purchasing power in Morgantown
- Rents drives the gap (-8.8 RPP points)
RPP parity plate
Pair NC:WV 93.2→93.3
PHOTO-FINISH · CROSS-STATE · SPLIT-BUDGET · BOTH-BELOW · PP-PAR
- PHOTO-FINISH Photo finish
- CROSS-STATE NC × WV
- SPLIT-BUDGET Split budget
- BOTH-BELOW Both below 100
- PP-PAR PP near-par
Instrument codes from this pair's BEA Regional Price Parities (overall · goods · services · rents · national benchmark 100 · purchasing-power conversion), not a ranking or recommendation.
Burlington
93.2
Cost Index
Morgantown
93.3
Cost Index
What This Comparison Actually Tells You
Burlington, NC and Morgantown, WV are a photo finish on overall price level, only 0.1 RPP points apart. A salary conversion is therefore a fine adjustment, not evidence of a fundamentally different cost regime.
Rents creates the largest separation: Morgantown is 8.8 points lower. But rents and goods move against the overall direction, so this is a split budget rather than a clean across-the-board winner.
Comparable population context is incomplete for this pair, so no market-scale explanation is inferred from the price indexes.
Both metros remain below the U.S. benchmark of 100. This comparison chooses between two below-average price levels; “more expensive” here does not mean nationally expensive.
For a housing-sensitive move, validate the rent gap first: HUD Fair Market Rent and the actual unit size can overturn what the blended index implies. On the BEA ratio alone, $100,000 in Burlington corresponds to $100,136 in Morgantown.
Category Breakdown
Goods
- Burlington
- 96.6
- Morgantown
- 96.3
Diff -0.4 RPP
Services
- Burlington
- 89.2
- Morgantown
- 92.5
Diff +3.3 RPP
Rents
- Burlington
- 77.9
- Morgantown
- 69.1
Diff -8.8 RPP
| Category | Burlington | Morgantown | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 93.2 | 93.3 | +0.1 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.3 | -0.4 |
| Services | 89.2 | 92.5 | +3.3 |
| Rents | 77.9 | 69.1 | -8.8 |
Visual Comparison
Overall
Burlington 93.2
Morgantown 93.3
Goods
Burlington 96.6
Morgantown 96.3
Services
Burlington 89.2
Morgantown 92.5
Rents
Burlington 77.9
Morgantown 69.1
Vertical line = national average (100)
Salary Equivalents
What a salary in Burlington would need to be in Morgantown for the same purchasing power:
| In Burlington | In Morgantown | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $50,068 | +$68 |
| $75,000 | $75,102 | +$102 |
| $100,000 | $100,136 | +$136 |
| $150,000 | $150,204 | +$204 |
$ in Burlington = in Morgantown
Same BEA Regional Price Parity ratio as the table above (93.2 → 93.3), computed live from your number, nothing is sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Morgantown more expensive than Burlington?
Morgantown is 0.1% more expensive than Burlington. The overall cost index is 93.3 vs 93.2 (national average = 100).
What salary in Morgantown equals $100K in Burlington?
A $100,000 salary in Burlington has the same purchasing power as $100,136 in Morgantown. This is based on the BEA Regional Price Parity indexes.
How do rents compare between Burlington and Morgantown?
Rents in Burlington are indexed at 77.9 while Morgantown is at 69.1 (national average = 100). Burlington has higher rents.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.