Last updated 2026-07-10 ยท MovePlan Editorial Team
Right around the national average, an affordable landing spot with few budget surprises.
Cost of living index (US avg = 100): 100
Median 2BR rent: $1,700/mo
Housing: 100 vs 100
Groceries: 97 vs 100
Utilities: 107 vs 100
Transportation: 100 vs 100
Healthcare: 96 vs 100
North Charleston offers hot, humid summers and mild winters and a reasonably priced place to land in South Carolina. Housing is the line item that moves your budget most, anchored here to a real median 2BR rent of about $1,700/mo.