Cost of Living in Charleston, SC
Cost of Living in Charleston, SC has an overall index of 139, 39% above the U.S. baseline of 100. The typical home value is $581,145; typical monthly rent is $2,127; and median household income is $90,038.
Cost index: committed city housing/rent inputs and BEA 2024 metro-area price parities. Home value: Zillow ZHVI market signal as of 2026-02. Rent: Zillow ZORI market signal as of 2026-02. A place-level signal, not a personal affordability decision or financial recommendation.
Home prices are the main source of pressure. This describes the local market, not your household.
Can your household carry the housing cost?
Start with four decisions. Open advanced assumptions only when you need to replace the local defaults.
Enter your income and housing plan to see a household-specific estimate.
Compare Charleston with another place.
Search one destination and see which housing and local-cost categories change most.
Inspect the numbers when you need them.
Other South Carolina cities with a useful tradeoff.
Recommendations require usable housing and income data and exclude very small places for a city of this scale.
Frequently asked questions about Charleston
Living in Charleston
Is Charleston, SC an expensive place to live?+
Yes — Charleston is about 39% more expensive than the national average, with an overall Cost Index of 139. Housing is the biggest factor: the typical home here is valued around $581,145, and monthly rents average roughly $2,127. Day-to-day costs like groceries and utilities tend to run closer to the national norm.
How does Charleston fit a household housing budget?+
Start with housing. Typical monthly rent is $2,127, while local median household income is $90,038. That implies a rent-burden proxy of about 28% before utilities and other costs. Use that as a planning signal for whether the place looks manageable under your own household assumptions.
How much are taxes in Charleston, SC?+
South Carolina uses an approximate state-income-tax planning model; 6.4% is top marginal-rate context from the tax snapshot. Applying the 0.57% state-level effective owner-occupied proxy to a home worth $581,145 gives a planning estimate near $3,313 per year; it is not a city, county, parcel, or individual tax bill. State plus average local sales-tax context is around 7.44%.
How much does it cost to rent in Charleston, SC?+
The typical monthly rent in Charleston is around $2,127. That's about 58% higher than the $1,348 national median. For comparison, the median home value here is $581,145, so buyers should also factor in mortgage payments, property taxes, and insurance.
How much does a house cost in Charleston, SC?+
The typical home value in Charleston is $581,145. With 20% down and the committed 6.11% national 30-year fixed benchmark as of 2026-03-12, principal and interest are roughly $2,820/month before property tax and insurance. This is a planning estimate, not a local lender quote. About 56% of residents here own their homes.
Are groceries and utilities expensive in Charleston?+
Grocery prices in Charleston are about average compared to the rest of the US (index: 96, where 100 is the national average). Utility bills (electricity, gas, water) are below average (index: 88). Overall, these everyday costs shouldn't cause major surprises if you're moving from another similarly-sized US city.
What is Charleston, SC like to live in?+
Charleston is a mid-sized city with a population of about 152,014. The median age of residents is 36.1, which is close to the national median. The local poverty rate is 11.97%, near the national average of 12.4%.