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 | Houston | North Charleston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $1,288/mo | 4.1% lower in A |
| Median home value | $235,000 | $243,300 | 3.4% lower in A |
| Median household income | $60,440 | $58,534 | 3.3% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.7 | 101.1 | 3.3% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 106.5 | 98.6 | 8.0% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 97.3 | 86.4 | 12.6% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 90.9 | 102.1 | 11.0% 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 Houston, you'd need $100,420 in North Charleston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston and North Charleston have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 4% lower in Houston than in North Charleston. If you earn $80,000 in Houston, you'd need about $80,336 in North Charleston to keep the same standard of living.