Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Charleston, SC and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Charleston, SC: $3,314 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Charleston, SC
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Charleston, SC Living Index
185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$3,314

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Charleston, SC and in Seattle, WA

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

A single person spends $3,314 per month in Charleston, SC vs $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Charleston, SC $3,314
Seattle, WA $3,800

A couple spends around $4,834 per month in Charleston, SC vs $5,702 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Charleston, SC $4,834
Seattle, WA $5,702

A family of three spends $6,355 per month in Charleston, SC vs $7,603 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Charleston, SC $6,355
Seattle, WA $7,603

Charleston, SC is about 13% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Charleston, SC and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Charleston, SC by 145%, Seattle, WA by 182%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.88 $19.88

$25.32 $25.32

-21.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$131 $131

$101 $101

28.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 $11.91

$14.85 $14.85

-19.80%

Cappuccino

$5.90 $5.90

$6.59 $6.59

-10.47%

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

$2.91 $2.91

$3.22 $3.22

-9.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$3.14 $3.14

-24.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 $6.68

$8.18 $8.18

-18.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 $7.88

$8.03 $8.03

-1.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.21 $1.21

-4.96%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$5.12 $5.12

-19.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$6.30 $6.30

-27.46%

Eggs

$5.25 $5.25

$4.90 $4.90

7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.51 $22.51

$19.10 $19.10

17.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.38 $14.38

$18.50 $18.50

-22.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.97 $20.97

$23.03 $23.03

-8.94%

Apples (1kg)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.81 $5.81

37.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.95 $1.95

-4.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$5.29 $5.29

-5.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$6.48 $6.48

9.41%

Potato (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$3.57 $3.57

42.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.15 $3.15

15.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.42 $2.42

36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.84 $9.84

$12.75 $12.75

-22.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 $20.33

$14.99 $14.99

35.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$4.17 $4.17

-34.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$5.99 $5.99

-49.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$3.04 $3.04

-34.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.8 $57.8

$110 $110

-47.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.55 $2.55

20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.64 $1.64

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.67 $31.67

$29.58 $29.58

7.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.42 $1.42

-32.39%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

-0.07%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.6K $25.6K

0.98%

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

$233 $233

$299 $299

-22.04%

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

$78.3 $78.3

$70.8 $70.8

10.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.8 $85.8

$88.3 $88.3

-2.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.77 $45.77

$79.5 $79.5

-42.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 $19.74

$35.37 $35.37

-44.19%

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 $14.14

$17.12 $17.12

-17.41%

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

$1,274 $1,274

$3,013 $3,013

-57.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K $27.2K

$31.6K $31.6K

-13.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.9 $78.9

$77.2 $77.2

2.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.52 $45.52

$55.1 $55.1

-17.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$126 $126

-9.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 $136

$163 $163

-16.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,353 $2,353

$2,464 $2,464

-4.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 $1,728

$1,956 $1,956

-11.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,610 $3,610

$4,711 $4,711

-23.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,630 $2,630

$3,550 $3,550

-25.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,673 $5,673

$7,346 $7,346

-22.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,048 $3,048

$5,048 $5,048

-39.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,858 $4,858

$6,286 $6,286

-22.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.85

-4.96%

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

Last update for Charleston, SC: October 12, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Charleston, SC

$1.7K 52.2%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 13.2% $228

Groceries & Markets

Charleston, SC

$535 16.1%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 1.3% $6.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Charleston, SC

$397 12%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 15.4% $61

Eating Out

Charleston, SC

$336 10.1%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 21.7% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Charleston, SC

$169 5.1%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 12.3% $21

Getting Around

Charleston, SC

$75 2.3%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 77.6% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Charleston, SC

$74 2.2%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 53.6% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,353 in Charleston, SC versus $2,464 in Seattle, WA. 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 29% higher in Seattle, WA, 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 $131 in Charleston, SC versus $101 in Seattle, WA. Groceries tell a different story – $535 in Charleston, SC vs $542 in Seattle, WA – so Charleston, SC wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

08:35 8:35 AM

05:35 5:35 AM

3 h behind Charleston, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,227

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Charleston, SC Seattle, WA 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Charleston, SC
Seattle, WA

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

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

Seattle, WA costs about 15% more than Charleston, SC, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,970 per month in Charleston, SC and $5,701 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,274 per month in Charleston, SC and $3,013 in Seattle, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Seattle, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,314 in Charleston, SC and $3,800 in Seattle, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Charleston, SC costs $3,314 versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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