Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Charleston, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Charleston, SC: $3,314 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
160

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

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$3,314

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Charleston, SC

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

A single person spends $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,314 in Charleston, SC, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Charleston, SC $3,314

A couple spends around $5,702 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,834 in Charleston, SC, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Charleston, SC $4,834

A family of three spends $7,603 per month in Seattle, WA vs $6,355 in Charleston, SC, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Charleston, SC $6,355

Seattle, WA costs about 15% more than Charleston, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Seattle, WA and Charleston, SC sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 182%, Charleston, SC by 145%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$19.88 $19.88

27.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$131 $131

-22.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$11.91 $11.91

24.69%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.90 $5.90

11.69%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.91 $2.91

10.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.37 $2.37

32.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$6.68 $6.68

22.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.88 $7.88

1.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.15 $1.15

5.22%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$4.13 $4.13

23.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$4.57 $4.57

37.86%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$5.25 $5.25

-6.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$22.51 $22.51

-15.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$14.38 $14.38

28.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$20.97 $20.97

9.82%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$7.97 $7.97

-27.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.86 $1.86

4.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.98 $4.98

6.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$7.09 $7.09

-8.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$5.08 $5.08

-29.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.65 $3.65

-13.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.30 $3.30

-26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$9.84 $9.84

29.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$20.33 $20.33

-26.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.74 $2.74

52.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.04 $3.04

97.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.99 $1.99

52.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$57.8 $57.8

90.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.06 $3.06

-16.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.23 $1.23

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$31.67 $31.67

-6.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$0.96 $0.96

47.92%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

0.07%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.8K $25.8K

-0.97%

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

$299 $299

$233 $233

28.28%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$78.3 $78.3

-9.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$85.8 $85.8

2.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$45.77 $45.77

73.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$19.74 $19.74

79.18%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$14.14 $14.14

21.07%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$1,274 $1,274

136.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$27.2K $27.2K

16.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$78.9 $78.9

-2.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$45.52 $45.52

21.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$114 $114

10.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$136 $136

19.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$2,353 $2,353

4.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$1,728 $1,728

13.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$3,610 $3,610

30.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$2,630 $2,630

34.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$5,673 $5,673

29.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$3,048 $3,048

65.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$4,858 $4,858

29.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.51

5.22%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Charleston, SC: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Charleston, SC

$1.7K 52.2% 11.6% $228

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Charleston, SC

$535 16.1% 1.2% $6.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Charleston, SC

$397 12% 13.3% $61

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Charleston, SC

$336 10.1% 17.8% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Charleston, SC

$169 5.1% 10.9% $21

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Charleston, SC

$75 2.3% 43.7% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Charleston, SC

$74 2.2% 34.9% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $2,353 in 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 29% higher in Seattle, WA, 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 $101 in Seattle, WA versus $131 in Charleston, SC. Groceries tell a different story – $542 in Seattle, WA vs $535 in Charleston, SC – so Charleston, SC wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Charleston, SC

🕒 Local time

06:31 6:31 AM

09:31 9:31 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

150,227

💱 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

Seattle, WA Charleston, SC 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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

Seattle, WA vs Charleston, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 15% more than Charleston, SC, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,701 per month in Seattle, WA and $4,970 in Charleston, SC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $3,013 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,274 in Charleston, SC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Seattle, WA, 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 $3,800 in Seattle, WA and $3,314 in Charleston, SC. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Charleston, SC costs $3,314 versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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