Cost of living comparison
South Carolina is 2.8% cheaper than North Carolina.
- Restaurants
-
pay 6.2% more in South Carolina
- Groceries
-
pay 7.5% less in South Carolina
- Transportation
-
pay 5.9% less in South Carolina
- Housing
-
pay 1.1% more in South Carolina
- Childcare
-
pay 3.6% less in South Carolina
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 10.5% less in South Carolina
- Clothing
-
pay 0.4% more in South Carolina
The cost of restaurants, housing, and clothing in South Carolina are more expensive than in North Carolina. Expenses including entertainment and sports, groceries, transportation, and childcare are lower in South Carolina.
If you lived in South Carolina instead of North Carolina, you would:
pay 6.2% more for restaurants
|
North Carolina
|
South Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant |
$16.06
|
$17.57
|
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$10.06
|
$10.40
|
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) |
$2.31
|
$2.41
|
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) |
$1.72
|
$1.86
|
|
pay 7.5% less for groceries
|
North Carolina
|
South Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$3.48
|
$3.02
|
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) |
$6.25
|
$4.99
|
|
| Milk (1 gallon) |
$3.46
|
$3.25
|
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$3.28
|
$2.94
|
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) |
$4.77
|
$4.81
|
|
| Apples (1 lb) |
$2.35
|
$2.50
|
|
| Bananas (1 lb) |
$0.74
|
$0.81
|
|
| Oranges (1 lb) |
$2.18
|
$2.11
|
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
$2.16
|
$1.90
|
|
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
$1.51
|
$1.25
|
|
| Onions (1 lb) |
$1.66
|
$1.37
|
|
pay 5.9% less for transportation
|
North Carolina
|
South Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
$3.19
|
$3.08
|
|
| Monthly public transit pass |
$53.89
|
$49.00
|
|
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) |
$34,400.31
|
$30,676.82
|
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) |
$19.36
|
$19.29
|
|
pay 1.1% more for housing
|
North Carolina
|
South Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$72.47
|
$63.14
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area |
$1,527.81
|
$1,510.93
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center |
$1,294.23
|
$1,398.21
|
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$130.82
|
$144.70
|
|
pay 3.6% less for childcare
|
North Carolina
|
South Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly |
$1,254.70
|
$1,335.89
|
|
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters |
$25,128.75
|
$21,679.50
|
|
pay 10.5% less for entertainment and sports
|
North Carolina
|
South Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) |
$5.09
|
$4.79
|
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area |
$4.89
|
$5.08
|
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
$7.33
|
$7.37
|
|
| Monthly membership at local gym |
$54.04
|
$29.76
|
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema |
$13.35
|
$12.57
|
|
pay 0.4% more for clothing
|
North Carolina
|
South Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$49.88
|
$45.07
|
|
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$37.28
|
$39.58
|
|
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$86.65
|
$89.11
|
|
| Men's business shoes (leather) |
$111.01
|
$113.24
|
|
Change currency:
Help us improve these prices
ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY
Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about South Carolina or North Carolina. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.