Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between North Charleston, SC and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $2,932 in North Charleston, SC, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in North Charleston, SC
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North Charleston, SC Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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North Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,932

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in North Charleston, SC and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,932 in North Charleston, SC versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

North Charleston, SC $2,932
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,243 in North Charleston, SC versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

North Charleston, SC $4,243
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,554 in North Charleston, SC versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

North Charleston, SC $5,554
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in North Charleston, SC is roughly 9% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: North Charleston, SC 116% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.08 $20.08

$20.63 $20.63

-2.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.3 $92.3

$84.6 $84.6

9.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.86 $11.86

$12.07 $12.07

-1.74%

Cappuccino

$5.93 $5.93

$5.48 $5.48

8.21%

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

$2.92 $2.92

$3.80 $3.80

-23.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.47 $2.47

2.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$8.05 $8.05

-26.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$8.88 $8.88

-10.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.11 $1.11

-7.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.72 $3.72

0.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$3.37 $3.37

40.36%

Eggs

$5.10 $5.10

$4.32 $4.32

18.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.38 $7.38

$13.13 $13.13

-43.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.76 $14.76

$14.15 $14.15

4.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.30 $20.30

$16.33 $16.33

24.31%

Apples (1kg)

$8.26 $8.26

$4.55 $4.55

81.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.46 $1.46

20.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$4.71 $4.71

8.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.15 $4.15

54.22%

Potato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.58 $2.58

69.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.19 $3.19

$2.35 $2.35

35.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.77 $1.77

42.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.14 $2.14

-4.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.94 $8.94

$10.10 $10.10

-11.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.38 $15.38

$15.19 $15.19

1.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.82 $2.82

-24.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.44 $3.44

-13.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.54 $1.54

60.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.53 $49.53

$40.99 $40.99

20.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.80 $2.80

8.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.60 $1.60

-21.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.64 $32.64

$34.34 $34.34

-4.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.94 $0.94

5.32%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$34.0K $34.0K

-21.21%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.8K $26.8K

-3.62%

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

$223 $223

0.23%

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

$75.9 $75.9

$58.9 $58.9

28.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$70.6 $70.6

22.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.45 $17.45

$57.7 $57.7

-69.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 $13.79

$14.26 $14.26

-3.30%

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

$920 $920

$1,511 $1,511

-39.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K $18.4K

$20.9K $20.9K

-11.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 $65.4

$51.3 $51.3

27.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.10 $45.10

$44.17 $44.17

2.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$87.0 $87.0

28.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$104 $104

25.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,063 $2,063

$1,940 $1,940

6.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 $1,489

$1,316 $1,316

13.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,429 $2,429

$3,664 $3,664

-33.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,328 $2,328

$2,565 $2,565

-9.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,844 $2,844

$7,354 $7,354

-61.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,898 $2,898

$3,129 $3,129

-7.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,763 $3,763

$5,286 $5,286

-28.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.79

-3.24%

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

Last update for North Charleston, SC: October 18, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

North Charleston, SC

$1.5K 50.8%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 11.6% $173

Groceries & Markets

North Charleston, SC

$450 15.3%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 9.7% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

North Charleston, SC

$385 13.1%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 8.6% $33

Eating Out

North Charleston, SC

$334 11.4%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 4.7% $16

Clothing & Footwear

North Charleston, SC

$159 5.4%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 18.8% $30

Getting Around

North Charleston, SC

$69 2.3%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 15.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

North Charleston, SC

$45 1.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 91.5% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,063 in North Charleston, SC and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $92.0 in North Charleston, SC vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $450 vs $406 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 North Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:11 4:11 AM

03:11 3:11 AM

1 h behind North Charleston, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

97,471

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

North Charleston, SC Austin, TX 1,710 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

North Charleston, SC
Austin, TX

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

North Charleston, SC vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in North Charleston, SC. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 40% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $2,063 in North Charleston, SC versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,932 per month in North Charleston, SC versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 21% less than in North Charleston, SC. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX 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.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in North Charleston, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.