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 | San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $870/mo | $2,080/mo | 58.2% lower in A |
| Median home value | $172,800 | $783,300 | 77.9% lower in A |
| Median household income | $58,902 | $98,657 | 40.3% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.0 | 106.8 | 9.2% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.6 | 159.5 | 41.9% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 100.0 | 101.1 | 1.1% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 98.3 | 101.0 | 2.6% 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 $172,388 in San Diego to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Charleston, WV is about 42% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 68% lower in Charleston than in San Diego. If you earn $80,000 in Charleston, you'd need about $137,910 in San Diego to keep the same standard of living.