Cost of Living in Charleston (vs. Your State)

As the largest city in South Carolina, Charleston is full of history and fun. Its distinctive landscape offers gorgeous excursions into nature, picturesque beaches and watersports, and a deep cultural connection that goes back to the beginning of our nation.

Though it has a cost of living slightly higher than the national average, the price is worth it for how much you get. Peerless beaches, antebellum architecture, vast natural parks, and the diverse wildlife that lives here are just some of the joys of living in Charleston.

But the true cost-of-living test is to see how it compares to where you live now. To learn why you should come here to live, let us examine eight side-by-side comparisons and discover why living in Charleston is so great!

(Details in the following comparisons use Forbes Advisor’s Cost of Living Calculator comparing Charleston with an equivalent city using a pre-tax household income of $70,000.)

Cost of Living in South Carolina vs. California

To compare South Carolina to California, let’s look at Sacramento. Here, the cost of living is 18% higher than Charleston. A new home will cost about 48% more in CA. Gas is much more expensive on the West Coast—34% more! Healthcare is, on average, about 22% higher in Sacramento, while milk (used as a representation of everyday products) will cost about 32% more.

Cost of Living in South Carolina vs Florida

Examining how South Carolina compares to Florida, let’s examine Charleston and Miami. Miami’s cost of living is about 19% higher than Charleston, and homes cost (are you sitting down?) 52% higher. This sunny city has a 20% higher cost of living than Charleston and homes are about 32% higher. Transportation costs are a modest 5% higher in Miami, while healthcare is almost the same (just 1% higher). Looking at milk again, you’ll save about 42% by living in Charleston.

Cost of Living in South Carolina vs Michigan

And now we head to Detroit, where the cost of living is 6% higher than Charleston, while new homes cost 12% more. Detroit’s transportation costs are 6% higher, and healthcare in The Motor City is 5% more. Miscellaneous goods and services are an average of 14% higher, though milk is a few pennies less.

Cost of Living in South Carolina vs New York

It’s time to go to the Big Apple and see how New York City compares. Here, the cost of living is about 57% higher than Charleston. Homes cost (ok, you really need to sit for this one) about 401% higher in New York City. Transportation is about 22% higher and healthcare pushes 15% more than in Charleston. And that ever present milk is about 31% more in New York City. Expensive town!

Cost of Living in South Carolina vs Ohio

For Ohio, let’s travel to Cincinnati. The cost of living here is quite comparable to Charleston but is slightly (2%) less. Homes are a bit cheaper, too, at 16% lower, but the transportation costs are 17% higher! Healthcare is also higher in Cincinnati—8% to be exact—and miscellaneous goods are about 11% higher. Coffee, however, is even more expensive at a little over 19% higher in Cincinnati than in Charleston.

Cost of Living in South Carolina vs Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh (our representative sample of Pennsylvania) also has a pretty close cost of living to Charleston, but this time it’s 2% higher. Housing costs are about 4% lower in Pittsburgh, yet transportation is about 9% more expensive. Healthcare is almost the same (1% higher in Pittsburgh), but milk is going to cost you almost 16% more!

Cost of Living in South Carolina vs Texas

Dallas is our example city for Texas, and here the cost of living is 4% higher. Housing costs are about the same as Charleston, and transportation costs are about 10% lower. Healthcare, however, will cost about 20% more in Dallas, and the milk you so love for your cereal will cost almost 10% more than it does in Charleston.

Cost of Living in South Carolina vs Tennessee

Nashville’s cost of living is on par with Charleston’s, even though homes prices are 10% higher. Transportation and healthcare costs are just lower (4% and 3%, respectively), but the cost of many common goods and services are more expensive in Nashville. Here, you’ll be paying over 9% more for your milk!

Living in Charleston: Final Thoughts

Charleston offers homeowners culturally significant cuisine, quirky places to shop, breathtaking escapes into nature, peaceful beaches, and architecture that can only be found here.

Charleston is also a hub of opportunity, with major companies like Boeing and Mercedes-Benz Vans having facilities (multiple in Boeing’s case) in Charleston. The technology sector is also a major place of job growth, with the Milken Institute ranking the city #24 (out of 105 cities evaluated) in their 2023 list of Best-Performing Cities—higher than Atlanta, Seattle, and San Francisco, to name a few.

When you are ready to find your new home, check out the new homes we have for sale in Charleston. Then, come for a visit, schedule a tour, and enjoy living here.