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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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New York skyline
Fred Hsu on en.wikipedia. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License
Charleston skyline
Animum. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photo source · License

New York vs Charleston

$1,038/mo more in Charleston

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
Less leftMore left

New YorkCharlestonAbout 634 miles apart, a flight.

  • Charleston leaves you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay
  • 222 sunny days

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,280/mo in Charleston. $1,242/mo in New York. +$12,456 a year.

New York

$1,242

left each month

Charleston

$2,280

+$1,038 vs New York

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Charleston wins 3 of 4New York 1 · ties 0
$6,405Take-home · New York$5,795
$3,018Rent · Charleston$1,588
$2,145Other bills · Charleston$1,927
$1,242Left over · Charleston$2,280

Next

In 2022-2023, 1,118 households moved New York → Charleston (avg AGI $149,923). 289 went the other way. The whole move →

+$1,038 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical monthNew YorkCharleston
Less leftMore left
Charleston · this breakdownNew York · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between New York, NY and Charleston, SC
Per monthNew YorkCharlestonDifference
Gross pay$9,292$7,738−$1,554
Income and payroll tax$2,886$1,943−$943
Take-home pay$6,405$5,795−$611
Rent$3,018$1,588−$1,430
Getting around$347$535+$188
Groceries$496$384−$112
Healthcare$558$432−$126
Utilities$310$240−$70
Everything else$434$336−$98
Left over$1,242$2,280+$1,038

Salary to match New York

$73,500

Gross pay in Charleston that leaves the same amount as $111,500 in New York.

Tax difference

+$5,789

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 31.1% in New York, 25.1% in Charleston.

More about Charleston

New York, NY in full

The one place where skipping a car genuinely offsets the rent.

Charleston, SC in full

State income tax topping out at 6.2%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,890 and 222 sunny days; commutes average 27 minutes.

The other way

Start in Charleston.

Charleston → New York →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Charleston than New York?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Charleston leaves about $1,038 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $3,018 in New York and $1,588 in Charleston.

Does Charleston have state income tax?

Charleston is in South Carolina, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from New York to Charleston?

The paycheck is taxed in South Carolina. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.

Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between New York and Charleston changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.

Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.