Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gold Coast and Florence, SC

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.

140

Cost of Living Index in Gold Coast
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Gold Coast Living Index
110

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

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Gold Coast

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,922

/mo nomad

Florence, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Gold Coast is roughly 28% more expensive than in Florence, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.81 A$29.59

$15.27 $15.27

36.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 A$149

$63.7 $63.7

64.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 A$15.09

$11.06 $11.06

-3.98%

Cappuccino

$3.76 A$5.34

$4.87 $4.87

-22.79%

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

$2.83 A$4.02

$2.54 $2.54

11.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 A$3.50

$1.99 $1.99

23.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 A$11.05

$5.02 $5.02

54.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.51 A$10.68

$6.87 $6.87

9.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 A$2.23

$1.02 $1.02

53.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.76

$4.14 $4.14

-35.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.35

$5.81 $5.81

-59.38%

Eggs

$4.90 A$6.97

$5.32 $5.32

-7.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 A$12.93

$11.54 $11.54

-21.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 A$13.51

$14.48 $14.48

-34.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.71 A$20.92

$24.86 $24.86

-40.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 A$5.61

$6.70 $6.70

-41.04%

Banana (1kg)

$3.19 A$4.54

$1.73 $1.73

84.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 A$4.93

$7.01 $7.01

-50.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 A$5.91

$6.14 $6.14

-32.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 A$3.68

$4.14 $4.14

-37.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.53

$5.92 $5.92

-58.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 A$3.48

$2.30 $2.30

6.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 A$3.30

$3.18 $3.18

-27.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.55 A$64.8

$8.82 $8.82

416.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.19 A$20.17

$14.73 $14.73

-3.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.73 A$8.15

$1.98 $1.98

189.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 A$9.56

$6.00 $6.00

12.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 A$3.88

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.0 A$79.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 A$3.15

$7.04 $7.04

-68.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 A$2.34

$1.91 $1.91

-13.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.90 A$52.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 A$1.96

$0.95 $0.95

45.26%

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

$29.2K A$41.5K

$27.2K $27.2K

7.30%

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

$26.6K A$37.8K

$25.6K $25.6K

4.06%

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

$218 A$310

$289 $289

-24.43%

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

$31.16 A$44.31

$56.1 $56.1

-44.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 A$77.4

$40.71 $40.71

33.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 A$86.3

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.58 A$25.00

Cinema Ticket

$13.50 A$19.20

$15.27 $15.27

-11.59%

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

$2,134 A$3,034

$1,344 $1,344

58.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K A$17.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 A$109

$40.44 $40.44

88.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 A$76.2

$30.16 $30.16

77.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$150

$106 $106

-0.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 A$176

$71.2 $71.2

74.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,293 A$3,260

$981 $981

133.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 A$2,258

$966 $966

64.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,278 A$4,662

$1,512 $1,512

116.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,998 A$4,263

$1,342 $1,342

123.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K A$15.4K

$1,586 $1,586

581.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,117 A$10.1K

$1,616 $1,616

340.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,855

$3,094 $3,094

33.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.69

6.57

-13.39%

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

Last update for Gold Coast: October 26, 2026

Last update for Florence, SC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gold Coast

$1.6K 54.4%

Florence, SC

$967 42.3% 39.1% $621

Groceries & Markets

Gold Coast

$384 13.2%

Florence, SC

$503 22% 30.9% $119

Eating Out

Gold Coast

$318 10.9%

Florence, SC

$271 11.9% 15% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gold Coast

$304 10.4%

Florence, SC

$385 16.9% 26.9% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Gold Coast

$162 5.5%

Florence, SC

$112 4.9% 31.1% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Gold Coast

$88 3%

Florence, SC

$31 * 1.3% 65.2% $57

Getting Around

Gold Coast

$77 2.7%

Florence, SC

$17 * 0.7% 78.6% $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 $2,293 in Gold Coast and $981 in Florence, SC. 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: $105 in Gold Coast vs $64 in Florence, SC. Groceries flip the comparison at $384 vs $503, with Gold Coast cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Gold Coast

🇺🇸 Florence, SC

🕒 Local time

21:05 9:05 PM

07:05 7:05 AM

14 h behind Gold Coast

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

607,665

40,184

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Gold Coast
Florence, 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

Gold Coast vs Florence, SC: 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.

Average pay runs 33% higher in Gold Coast, 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: $2,293 in Gold Coast versus $981 in Florence, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,134 in Gold Coast versus $1,344 in Florence, SC. 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.