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 | Chicago | North Charleston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,288/mo | 2.0% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $243,300 | 25.2% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $58,534 | 22.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 101.1 | 3.8% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 98.6 | 6.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 86.4 | 14.1% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 102.1 | 4.6% 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 Chicago, you'd need $98,167 in North Charleston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
North Charleston, SC is about 1.8% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 2% lower in North Charleston than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $78,533 in North Charleston to keep the same standard of living.