Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and North Charleston, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $2,932 in North Charleston, SC, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
142

Cost of Living Index in North Charleston, SC
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North Charleston, SC Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

North Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,932

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in North Charleston, SC

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in North Charleston, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,932 in North Charleston, SC.

Austin, TX $2,698
North Charleston, SC $2,932

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $4,243 in North Charleston, SC.

Austin, TX $4,160
North Charleston, SC $4,243

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $5,554 in North Charleston, SC.

Austin, TX $5,622
North Charleston, SC $5,554

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 8% less than in North Charleston, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, North Charleston, SC 116% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$20.08 $20.08

2.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$92.3 $92.3

-8.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.86 $11.86

1.77%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.93 $5.93

-7.59%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.92 $2.92

30.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.52 $2.52

-1.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.91 $5.91

36.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.92 $7.92

12.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.03 $1.03

7.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.75 $3.75

-0.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.73 $4.73

-28.75%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$5.10 $5.10

-15.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$7.38 $7.38

77.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$14.76 $14.76

-4.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$20.30 $20.30

-19.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$8.26 $8.26

-44.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.76 $1.76

-17.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$5.12 $5.12

-8.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$6.40 $6.40

-35.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.37 $4.37

-40.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.19 $3.19

-26.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.52 $2.52

-29.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.05 $2.05

4.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.94 $8.94

12.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.38 $15.38

-1.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.12 $2.12

33.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.96 $2.96

16.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.47 $2.47

-37.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$49.53 $49.53

-17.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.05 $3.05

-8.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.26 $1.26

26.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$32.64 $32.64

5.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.99 $0.99

-5.05%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.0K $34.0K

$26.8K $26.8K

26.91%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.76%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$223 $223

-0.23%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$58.9 $58.9

$75.9 $75.9

-22.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$86.1 $86.1

-18.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$17.45 $17.45

230.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$13.79 $13.79

3.41%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,511 $1,511

$920 $920

64.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$18.4K $18.4K

13.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$65.4 $65.4

-21.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$45.10 $45.10

-2.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$112 $112

-22.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$131 $131

-20.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$2,063 $2,063

-5.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,489 $1,489

-11.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,429 $2,429

50.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,328 $2,328

10.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,844 $2,844

158.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,898 $2,898

7.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,763 $3,763

40.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.57

3.35%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for North Charleston, SC: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

North Charleston, SC

$1.5K 50.8% 13.2% $173

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

North Charleston, SC

$450 15.3% 10.8% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

North Charleston, SC

$385 13.1% 9.4% $33

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

North Charleston, SC

$334 11.4% 4.5% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

North Charleston, SC

$159 5.4% 23.2% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

North Charleston, SC

$45 1.5% 47.8% $41

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

North Charleston, SC

$69 2.3% 18.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $2,063 in North Charleston, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $92.0 in North Charleston, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $450 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 North Charleston, SC

🕒 Local time

03:47 3:47 AM

04:47 4:47 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

97,471

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX North Charleston, SC 1,710 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
North Charleston, SC

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs North Charleston, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in North Charleston, SC. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 40% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $2,063 in North Charleston, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,932 in North Charleston, SC – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 21% less than in North Charleston, SC. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in North Charleston, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.