Charleston County · South Carolina
Cost of living in Charleston, SC
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Charleston-North Charleston, SC, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Living in Charleston, SC costs 1.0% above the national average — an all-items price level of 101.0. To match the buying power of a $100,000 national-average salary you would need about $100,962 here.
- All items
- 101.0US average = 100
- Housing
- 119.819.8% above the national average
- Goods
- 96.33.7% below the national average
- Other services
- 98.31.7% below the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 96.3 | -3.7% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 119.8 | +19.8% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 88.2 | -11.8% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 98.3 | -1.7% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
What your salary is worth in Charleston, SC
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (101.0 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $86,415
- Needed to match US average
- $88,085
- Monthly difference
- $70
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
The median household in Charleston earns $87,246. Deflated by the local price level, that is $86,415 in national-average dollars — the BEA calls this real income, and it is simply income × 100 ÷ 101.0.
More on Charleston
Same city, other datasets.
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Charleston-North Charleston, SC. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.