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 | North Charleston | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,288/mo | $1,250/mo | 3.0% higher in A |
| Median home value | $243,300 | $215,500 | 12.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $58,534 | $57,537 | 1.7% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 101.1 | 98.9 | 2.2% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 98.6 | 91.5 | 7.8% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 86.4 | 88.3 | 2.1% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 102.1 | 98.8 | 3.3% 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 North Charleston, you'd need $97,734 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 2.3% cheaper overall than North Charleston, SC, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 3% lower in Philadelphia than in North Charleston. If you earn $80,000 in North Charleston, you'd need about $78,188 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.