Uprootmap
Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
Uprootmap
Charleston skyline
Animum. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photo source · License
Raleigh skyline
Abhiram Juvvadi. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License

Charleston vs Raleigh

$466/mo more in Raleigh

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

CharlestonRaleighAbout 209 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Raleigh leaves you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,753/mo in Raleigh. $2,287/mo in Charleston. +$5,592 a year.

Charleston

$2,287

left each month

Raleigh

$2,753

+$466 vs Charleston

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Raleigh wins 3 of 4Charleston 1 · ties 0
$5,802Take-home · Raleigh$5,965
$1,588Rent · Raleigh$1,252
$1,927Other bills · Charleston$1,960
$2,287Left over · Raleigh$2,753

Next

In 2022-2023, 183 households moved Charleston → Raleigh (avg AGI $97,929). 229 went the other way. The whole move →

+$466 / 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 monthCharlestonRaleigh
Less leftMore left
Raleigh · this breakdownCharleston · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Charleston, SC and Raleigh, NC
Per monthCharlestonRaleighDifference
Gross pay$7,750$7,899+$149
Income and payroll tax$1,948$1,934−$14
Take-home pay$5,802$5,965+$163
Rent$1,588$1,252−$336
Getting around$535$568+$33
Groceries$384$384$0
Healthcare$432$432$0
Utilities$240$240$0
Everything else$336$336$0
Left over$2,287$2,753+$466

Salary to match Charleston

$86,500

Gross pay in Raleigh that leaves the same amount as $93,000 in Charleston.

Tax difference

+$697

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 25.1% in Charleston, 24.5% in Raleigh.

More about Raleigh

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.

Raleigh, NC in full

Research Triangle salaries, low taxes, and not much to do downtown.

The other way

Start in Raleigh.

Raleigh → Charleston →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Raleigh than Charleston?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Raleigh leaves about $466 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,588 in Charleston and $1,252 in Raleigh.

Does Raleigh have state income tax?

Raleigh is in North Carolina, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Charleston to Raleigh?

The paycheck is taxed in North 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 Charleston and Raleigh 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.