Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between North Charleston, SC and Utrecht

For one person, living costs are similar in North Charleston, SC and in Utrecht: $2,932 and $2,916 a month, rent and utilities included.

142

Cost of Living Index in North Charleston, SC
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North Charleston, SC Living Index
141

Cost of Living Index in Utrecht
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Utrecht Living Index

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North Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,932

/mo nomad

Utrecht

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,916

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Utrecht actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,932 per month in North Charleston, SC vs $2,916 in Utrecht, rent included.

North Charleston, SC $2,932
Utrecht $2,916

A couple spends around $4,243 per month in North Charleston, SC vs $4,182 in Utrecht, rent included.

North Charleston, SC $4,243
Utrecht $4,182

A family of three spends $5,554 per month in North Charleston, SC vs $5,448 in Utrecht, rent included.

North Charleston, SC $5,554
Utrecht $5,448

North Charleston, SC costs about 1% more than Utrecht, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both North Charleston, SC and Utrecht sit above the global median – North Charleston, SC by 116%, Utrecht by 115%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.08 $20.08

$22.48 €19.99

-10.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.3 $92.3

$85.0 €75.6

8.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.86 $11.86

$13.41 €11.93

-11.56%

Cappuccino

$5.93 $5.93

$4.73 €4.21

25.37%

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

$2.92 $2.92

$3.78 €3.36

-22.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.29 €2.93

-23.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$6.57 €5.84

-10.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$7.44 €6.62

6.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.54 €1.37

-33.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.89 €2.57

29.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.46 €2.19

92.28%

Eggs

$5.10 $5.10

$4.92 €4.38

3.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.38 $7.38

$13.44 €11.95

-45.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.76 $14.76

$13.79 €12.27

7.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.30 $20.30

$19.19 €17.07

5.78%

Apples (1kg)

$8.26 $8.26

$2.83 €2.52

191.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.47 €2.20

-28.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.10 €1.87

143.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.78 €3.36

69.31%

Potato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$1.73 €1.54

152.60%

Onion (1kg)

$3.19 $3.19

$1.94 €1.73

64.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.54 €1.37

63.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.45 €1.29

41.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.94 $8.94

$14.63 €13.01

-38.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.38 $15.38

$6.62 €5.89

132.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.35 €1.20

57.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.68 €2.39

10.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.49 €3.11

-29.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.53 $49.53

$135 €120

-63.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.79 €3.37

-19.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$2.74 €2.44

-54.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.64 $32.64

$44.33 €39.43

-26.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.55 €2.27

-61.18%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$42.2K €37.6K

-36.60%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$39.6K €35.2K

-34.86%

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

$223 $223

$248 €221

-10.06%

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

$75.9 $75.9

$21.90 €19.48

246.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$47.01 €41.81

83.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.45 $17.45

$45.64 €40.59

-61.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.35 €27.88

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 $13.79

$15.42 €13.71

-10.57%

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

$920 $920

$3,024 €2,690

-69.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K $18.4K

$7,950 €7,071

131.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 $65.4

$93.5 €83.2

-30.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.10 $45.10

$51.9 €46.19

-13.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$103 €91.7

8.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$126 €112

3.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,063 $2,063

$1,847 €1,643

11.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 $1,489

$1,480 €1,316

0.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,429 $2,429

$3,230 €2,873

-24.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,328 $2,328

$2,234 €1,987

4.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,844 $2,844

$6,933 €6,167

-58.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,898 $2,898

$4,859 €4,322

-40.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,763 $3,763

$4,254 €3,784

-11.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

3.23

103.41%

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 Utrecht: 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%

Utrecht

$1.5K 50.8% 0.7% $9.7

Groceries & Markets

North Charleston, SC

$450 15.3%

Utrecht

$355 12.2% 21.1% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

North Charleston, SC

$385 13.1%

Utrecht

$317 10.9% 17.7% $68

Eating Out

North Charleston, SC

$334 11.4%

Utrecht

$353 12.1% 5.5% $18

Clothing & Footwear

North Charleston, SC

$159 5.4%

Utrecht

$169 5.8% 6.1% $9.7

Getting Around

North Charleston, SC

$69 2.3%

Utrecht

$166 5.7% 142% $98

Sport & Entertainment

North Charleston, SC

$45 1.5%

Utrecht

$76 2.6% 69.8% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,063 in North Charleston, SC versus $1,847 in Utrecht. 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 13% higher in Utrecht, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92.0 in North Charleston, SC versus $85.0 in Utrecht. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $450 vs $355 – making Utrecht the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 North Charleston, SC

🇳🇱 Utrecht

🕒 Local time

04:10 4:10 AM

10:10 10:10 AM

6 h ahead of North Charleston, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

97,471

367,947

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

North Charleston, SC Utrecht 6,870 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

North Charleston, SC
Utrecht

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 Utrecht: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

North Charleston, SC costs about 1% more than Utrecht, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,397 per month in North Charleston, SC and $4,374 in Utrecht. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 27% more in North Charleston, SC, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92.0 in North Charleston, SC and $85.0 in Utrecht. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,932 in North Charleston, SC and $2,916 in Utrecht. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Utrecht costs $2,916 versus $2,932 in North Charleston, SC. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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