Charleston County · South Carolina
Charleston cost of living (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
Charleston costs 1.0% above the national average — all-items price level 101.0, rank 42 of 94 covered metros. A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $100,962 here. Housing is the reason, at 119.8.
- 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. |
Reading the Charleston price level
What the 101.0 figure actually means for a household here.
Charleston prices sit 1.0% above the US average — an all-items parity of 101.0, rank 42 of 94 covered metros. Effectively the national average. The median covered metro reads 100.8.
Housing drives it: 119.8, 19.8% above average. Utilities pull the other way at 88.2. The spread between the cheapest and dearest component is 31.6 points, so the headline number hides real variation — a renter and an owner in Charleston do not face the same cost gap versus the rest of the country.
A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $100,962 here to buy the same basket. Run it the other way: the $87,246 median household income in Charleston is worth $86,415 in national-average dollars, 10.0% above the $78,538 US median. Local pay more than covers the local price level.
Parities are published for Charleston-North Charleston, SC as a whole. Neighbourhood prices inside that metro diverge widely, and BEA revises the series annually.
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.
$87,246 median household income in Charleston is worth $86,415 in national-average dollars. BEA calls that real income: income × 100 ÷ 101.0.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this area.
- Is Charleston expensive?
- Yes — 1.0% above the US average, rank 42 of 94 covered metros. housing is the component furthest from average at 119.8.
- What salary do you need to live in Charleston, SC?
- $100,962 to match a $100,000 national-average salary. The local median household earns $87,246, worth $86,415 after adjusting for the 101.0 price level.
- Why is the cost of living high in Charleston?
- Housing at 119.8 versus utilities at 88.2. A 31.6-point spread between components means one category, not general inflation, sets the headline figure.
More Charleston data
Other Charleston datasets on this site.
- Charleston population and income
- Charleston sales tax rate
- Charleston property tax
- Charleston home values and rent
- Charleston crime rates
- Charleston public schools
- Charleston weather normals
- Charleston commute times
- Charleston jobs and wages
Statewide: South Carolina cities · South Carolina ZIP codes · South Carolina sales tax · South Carolina counties
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.