Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and North Charleston, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in North Charleston, SC: $2,932 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $24,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
142

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

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

North Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,932

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY 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 New York, NY and in North Charleston, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,938 per month in New York, NY vs $2,932 in North Charleston, SC, rent included.

New York, NY $4,938
North Charleston, SC $2,932

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $4,243 in North Charleston, SC, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
North Charleston, SC $4,243

A family of three spends $9,608 per month in New York, NY vs $5,554 in North Charleston, SC, rent included.

New York, NY $9,608
North Charleston, SC $5,554

New York, NY costs about 68% more than North Charleston, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both New York, NY and North Charleston, SC sit above the global median – New York, NY by 264%, North Charleston, SC by 116%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$20.08 $20.08

24.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$92.3 $92.3

30.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$11.86 $11.86

15.85%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$5.93 $5.93

11.30%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.92 $2.92

30.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.52 $2.52

13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$5.91 $5.91

34.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$7.92 $7.92

27.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.03 $1.03

33.01%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.75 $3.75

26.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$4.73 $4.73

62.58%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$5.10 $5.10

15.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$7.38 $7.38

160.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$14.76 $14.76

20.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$20.30 $20.30

-6.26%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$8.26 $8.26

-19.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.76 $1.76

30.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$5.12 $5.12

25.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$6.40 $6.40

5.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.37 $4.37

-10.07%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.19 $3.19

41.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.52 $2.52

10.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.05 $2.05

22.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$8.94 $8.94

102.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$15.38 $15.38

31.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.12 $2.12

53.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.96 $2.96

26.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.47 $2.47

18.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

$49.53 $49.53

187.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.05 $3.05

0.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.26 $1.26

71.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$32.64 $32.64

26.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.99 $0.99

13.13%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$26.8K $26.8K

23.72%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.8K $25.8K

-0.30%

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

$219 $219

$223 $223

-1.73%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$75.9 $75.9

-0.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$86.1 $86.1

-18.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$17.45 $17.45

561.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$13.79 $13.79

54.97%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$920 $920

272.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$18.4K $18.4K

234.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$65.4 $65.4

14.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$45.10 $45.10

15.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$112 $112

4.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$131 $131

2.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$2,063 $2,063

110.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$1,489 $1,489

109.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$2,429 $2,429

275.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$2,328 $2,328

131.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$2,844 $2,844

578.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$2,898 $2,898

139.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

$3,763 $3,763

39.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.57

4.26%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 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

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

North Charleston, SC

$1.5K 50.8% 52.2% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

North Charleston, SC

$450 15.3% 18.6% $102

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

North Charleston, SC

$334 11.4% 17.8% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

North Charleston, SC

$385 13.1% 5.5% $20

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

North Charleston, SC

$159 5.4% 6.6% $11

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

North Charleston, SC

$69 2.3% 59.1% $99

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

North Charleston, SC

$45 1.5% 71.5% $113

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,347 in New York, NY versus $2,063 in North Charleston, SC. 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 39% higher in New York, NY, 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 $120 in New York, NY versus $92.0 in North Charleston, SC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $552 vs $450 – making North Charleston, SC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 North Charleston, SC

🕒 Local time

06:22 6:22 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

97,471

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY North Charleston, SC 1,010 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
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

New York, NY vs North Charleston, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 68% more than North Charleston, SC, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,407 per month in New York, NY and $4,397 in North Charleston, SC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $3,432 per month in New York, NY and $920 in North Charleston, SC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in New York, NY, 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 $4,938 in New York, NY and $2,932 in North Charleston, SC. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. North Charleston, SC costs $2,932 versus $4,938 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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