Cost of Living Comparison Between Charleston, SC and Milan Cost of Living Comparison Between Charleston, SC and Milan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,323 per month in Charleston, SC vs $2,645 in Milan, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,806 per month in Charleston, SC vs $4,044 in Milan, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,288 per month in Charleston, SC vs $5,444 in Milan, rent included.

Charleston, SC costs about 26% more than Milan, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Charleston, SC and Milan sit above the global median – Charleston, SC by 142%, Milan by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.96 $19.96

$24.76 €21.36

-19.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$141 $141

$97.3 €84.0

44.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 $11.89

$13.91 €12.00

-14.52%

Cappuccino

$6.00 $6.00

$2.13 €1.84

181.69%

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

$2.85 $2.85

$4.02 €3.47

-29.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.06 €1.78

9.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.58 $6.58

$6.89 €5.94

-4.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.89 $7.89

$6.96 €6.00

13.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.79 €1.54

-35.75%

White Bread (500g)

$4.09 $4.09

$3.34 €2.88

22.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$3.78 €3.26

20.90%

Eggs

$5.54 $5.54

$5.07 €4.37

9.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$23.70 €20.45

-2.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.28 $14.28

$15.03 €12.97

-4.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.69 $20.69

$23.74 €20.48

-12.85%

Apples (1kg)

$8.07 $8.07

$3.22 €2.78

150.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.55 €2.20

-27.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$3.50 €3.02

48.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$4.59 €3.96

55.12%

Potato (1kg)

$5.00 $5.00

$2.47 €2.13

102.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.15 €1.85

71.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.84 €1.59

55.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.60 €0.51

443.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.13 $10.13

$7.52 €6.49

34.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.90 $19.90

$9.35 €8.07

112.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.05 €1.77

34.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.36 €2.04

23.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.49 €2.14

-17.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.6 $56.6

$45.87 €39.58

23.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$8.07 €6.96

-63.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 $1.20

$2.37 €2.05

-49.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.75 $31.75

$65.0 €56.1

-51.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$2.15 €1.85

-56.28%

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

$35.2K $35.2K

$38.3K €33.0K

-8.08%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$37.7K €32.5K

-33.70%

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

$230 $230

$267 €230

-13.99%

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

$79.0 $79.0

$10.89 €9.40

625.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.1 $85.1

$30.70 €26.49

177.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.03 $46.03

$88.4 €76.3

-47.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.71 $19.71

$34.05 €29.38

-42.11%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 $13.73

$12.87 €11.11

6.68%

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

$1,244 $1,244

$862 €744

44.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.0K $28.0K

$20.1K €17.3K

39.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$106 €91.8

-28.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.89 $46.89

$52.6 €45.37

-10.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 $115

$117 €101

-2.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 $137

$170 €147

-19.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,335 $2,335

$1,740 €1,502

34.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,730 $1,730

$1,223 €1,055

41.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,489 $3,489

$3,638 €3,139

-4.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,631 $2,631

$2,089 €1,802

25.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,541 $5,541

$11.1K €9,585

-50.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,034 $3,034

$5,102 €4,403

-40.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,548 $4,548

$2,275 €1,963

99.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.07

3.17

91.48%

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

Last update for Charleston, SC: August 29, 2026

Last update for Milan: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,335 in Charleston, SC versus $1,740 in Milan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 100% higher in Charleston, SC, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $141 in Charleston, SC versus $97.0 in Milan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $536 vs $432 – making Milan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Charleston, SC vs Milan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Charleston, SC costs about 26% more than Milan, with the gap driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,985 per month in Charleston, SC and $3,967 in Milan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Milan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,244 per month in Charleston, SC and $862 in Milan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Charleston, SC, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,323 in Charleston, SC and $2,645 in Milan. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Milan costs $2,645 versus $3,323 in Charleston, SC. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Milan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Charleston, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.