From the AP:
Wilmington is the most expensive North Carolina city in which to live, according to a survey released this week by the city's Chamber of Commerce.
Results of a survey by the American Chamber of Commerce Research Association showed Wilmington at the top of 13 localities, including Raleigh and Charlotte, based on the price of everything from food and rent to gasoline. The cost also was higher than Charleston, S.C., and Atlanta and lower than Richmond, Va.
The most expensive part of living in Wilmington is housing, the survey said. Housing costs about 10 percent more than the national average, while housing in Raleigh is 7.1 percent below the national average, the survey showed.
"You've got to pay a little bit more to live at the beach," said Scott Czechlewski, spokesman for the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce. "We're lucky to live at a place that a lot of people only get to visit once or twice a year."
And the wages are lower too.