Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Charleston's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
Index: 100 = US city average. Values >100 mean more expensive, <100 means cheaper.
How far does your salary go in Charleston?
Your $100,000 in Charleston has the same purchasing power as $83,584 in the average US city. You'd need $16,416 more here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Within 10 points of Charleston's cost index of 120, sorted by closest match.
Charleston, South Carolina has a cost-of-living index of 120, which is 20% above the national average. The typical renter pays $1,517 per month. The median household earns $83,891 per year.
To match the lifestyle of a $70,000 earner in the average US city, you'd need about $83,748 per year in Charleston. Single renters typically want at least three times the $18,204 threshold to cover housing comfortably.
Charleston is more expensive than most US cities. Overall prices are 20% above the national average.