Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Florence, SC and Gold Coast

For one person, living is cheaper in Florence, SC: $2,285 a month against $2,922 in Gold Coast, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Florence, SC
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Florence, SC Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Gold Coast
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Gold Coast Living Index

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Florence, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,285

/mo nomad

Gold Coast

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,922

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Florence, SC and in Gold Coast

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,285 in Florence, SC versus $2,922 in Gold Coast.

Florence, SC $2,285
Gold Coast $2,922

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,220 in Florence, SC versus $4,497 in Gold Coast.

Florence, SC $3,220
Gold Coast $4,497

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,156 in Florence, SC versus $6,073 in Gold Coast.

Florence, SC $4,156
Gold Coast $6,073

Living in Florence, SC costs roughly 22% less than in Gold Coast, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Florence, SC 68% above, Gold Coast 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.27 $15.27

$20.81 A$29.57

-26.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 $63.7

$105 A$149

-39.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 $11.06

$10.62 A$15.08

4.14%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$3.76 A$5.34

29.52%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$2.83 A$4.01

-10.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.46 A$3.50

-19.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 $5.02

$7.77 A$11.04

-35.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.51 A$10.68

-8.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.57 A$2.22

-35.03%

White Bread (500g)

$4.14 $4.14

$2.65 A$3.76

56.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$2.36 A$3.35

146.19%

Eggs

$5.32 $5.32

$4.90 A$6.97

8.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 $11.54

$9.09 A$12.92

26.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.48 $14.48

$9.50 A$13.50

52.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.86 $24.86

$14.71 A$20.90

69.00%

Apples (1kg)

$6.70 $6.70

$3.95 A$5.61

69.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$3.19 A$4.53

-45.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.01 $7.01

$3.47 A$4.93

102.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.14 $6.14

$4.16 A$5.91

47.60%

Potato (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$2.59 A$3.67

59.85%

Onion (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$2.48 A$3.52

138.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.45 A$3.47

-6.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.32 A$3.29

37.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.82 $8.82

$45.55 A$64.7

-80.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.73 $14.73

$14.19 A$20.16

3.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$5.73 A$8.14

-65.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 $6.00

$6.73 A$9.56

-10.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 A$3.88

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.0 A$79.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.04 $7.04

$2.22 A$3.15

217.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.65 A$2.34

15.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.90 A$52.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.38 A$1.96

-31.16%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$29.2K A$41.5K

-6.80%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.6K A$37.8K

-3.90%

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

$289 $289

$218 A$310

32.32%

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

$56.1 $56.1

$31.16 A$44.28

80.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.71 $40.71

$54.4 A$77.3

-25.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 A$86.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.58 A$24.98

Cinema Ticket

$15.27 $15.27

$13.50 A$19.18

13.11%

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

$1,344 $1,344

$2,134 A$3,032

-37.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K A$17.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.44 $40.44

$76.3 A$108

-47.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.16 $30.16

$53.6 A$76.1

-43.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$106 A$150

0.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.2 $71.2

$124 A$176

-42.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$981 $981

$2,293 A$3,258

-57.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$966 $966

$1,588 A$2,256

-39.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,512 $1,512

$3,278 A$4,658

-53.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 $1,342

$2,998 A$4,260

-55.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,586 $1,586

$10.8K A$15.4K

-85.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,616 $1,616

$7,117 A$10.1K

-77.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,094 $3,094

$4,118 A$5,851

-24.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

5.69

15.47%

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

Last update for Florence, SC: October 26, 2026

Last update for Gold Coast: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Florence, SC

$967 42.3%

Gold Coast

$1.6K 54.4% 64.3% $621

Groceries & Markets

Florence, SC

$503 22%

Gold Coast

$384 13.2% 23.6% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Florence, SC

$385 16.9%

Gold Coast

$304 10.4% 21.2% $82

Eating Out

Florence, SC

$271 11.9%

Gold Coast

$318 10.9% 17.7% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Florence, SC

$112 4.9%

Gold Coast

$162 5.5% 45% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Florence, SC

$31 * 1.3%

Gold Coast

$88 3% 187% $57

Getting Around

Florence, SC

$17 * 0.7%

Gold Coast

$77 2.7% 367% $61

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $981 in Florence, SC and $2,293 in Gold Coast. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gold Coast pays 33% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $64 in Florence, SC vs $105 in Gold Coast. Groceries flip the comparison at $503 vs $384, with Gold Coast cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Florence, SC

🇦🇺 Gold Coast

🕒 Local time

16:53 4:53 PM

06:53 6:53 AM

14 h ahead of Florence, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,184

607,665

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

AUD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Florence, SC Gold Coast 14,960 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Florence, SC
Gold Coast

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

Florence, SC vs Gold Coast: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Florence, SC wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Gold Coast. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Florence, SC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Florence, SC. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $981 in Florence, SC versus $2,293 in Gold Coast. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,344 in Florence, SC versus $2,134 in Gold Coast. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Florence, SC – a meal for two runs $64 versus $105 in Gold Coast. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Florence, SC 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.

It comes down to priorities – Florence, SC wins on affordability, Gold Coast on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.