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 | New York | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $870/mo | $1,714/mo | 49.2% lower in A |
| Median home value | $172,800 | $732,100 | 76.4% lower in A |
| Median household income | $58,902 | $76,607 | 23.1% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.0 | 108.1 | 10.3% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.6 | 133.1 | 30.4% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 100.0 | 104.3 | 4.1% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 98.3 | 104.1 | 5.5% lower 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 $155,125 in New York to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Charleston, WV is about 35.5% cheaper overall than New York, NY, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 61% lower in Charleston than in New York. If you earn $80,000 in Charleston, you'd need about $124,100 in New York to keep the same standard of living.