City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Charleston | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,517/mo | $1,235/mo | 22.8% higher in A |
| Median home value | $438,900 | $235,000 | 86.8% higher in A |
| Median household income | $83,891 | $60,440 | 38.8% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 103.8 | 97.7 | 6.2% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 102.1 | 106.5 | 4.1% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 91.0 | 97.3 | 6.4% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 109.4 | 90.9 | 20.3% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Charleston, you'd need $90,235 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 9.8% cheaper overall than Charleston, SC, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 19% lower in Houston than in Charleston. If you earn $80,000 in Charleston, you'd need about $72,188 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.