Living Cost Compare
Austin

Texas

$1,660/mo est.

vs
Charleston

South Carolina

$1,620/mo est.

Monthly estimate = 1BR rent + electricity + gas

A one-person monthly baseline (1BR rent plus typical utilities) runs $1,660 in Austin, TX versus $1,620 in Charleston, SC. Overall, Charleston, SC is roughly 2% cheaper to live in day-to-day than Austin, TX, driven mainly by rent.

Median household income is $91,461 in Austin, TX and $90,038 in Charleston, SC — about 2% higher in Austin, TX. Texas has no state income tax and a 6.25% state sales tax; South Carolina has a top state income tax rate of 6.00% and a 6% state sales tax.

Austin, TX
Charleston, SC

Rent

Studio
$1,348
$1,579
+17% in Charleston, SC
1 Bedroom
$1,457
$1,430
+2% in Austin, TX
2 Bedroom
$1,776
$1,684
+5% in Austin, TX
3 Bedroom
$2,127
$2,076
+2% in Austin, TX

Buying a Home

Median Home Value
$512,700
$469,100
+9% in Austin, TX

Income

Median Household Income
$91,461
$90,038
+2% in Austin, TX
Metro Median Wage (annual)
$56,950
$49,150
+14% in Austin, TX

People & Lifestyle

Median Age
34.5 yr
36.1 yr
+1.6 yr in Charleston, SC
Homeownership
44.4%
55.6%
+11.2 pp in Charleston, SC
Bachelor's+ (25+)
58.2%
57.7%
+0.5 pp in Austin, TX
Avg Commute
24.0 min
23.8 min
+0.2 min in Austin, TX

Crime (per 100k/yr)

Violent Crime
476.1
358.8
+25% in Austin, TX
Property Crime
3,290.7
2,035.1
+38% in Austin, TX

FBI Crime Data Explorer. Offenses per 100,000 residents per year; agency reporting practices vary, so this is approximate.

Climate

Avg Annual Temperature
67.2°F
66.7°F
+0.5°F in Austin, TX
Annual Precipitation
34.9 in
44.4 in
+9.5 in in Charleston, SC

Gas

Regular Gasoline
$3.62/gal
$3.86/gal
+7% in Charleston, SC

Area: Texas vs East Coast (PADD 1).

Public Transit

Base Fare (one-way)
$1.25
—

Adult base one-way fare — CapMetro vs — (2026).

Utilities

Electricity (¢/kWh)
16.4
16.2
+2% in Austin, TX
Natural Gas ($/MCF)
$30.48
$27.35
+10% in Austin, TX

Residential, state-level averages (EIA). MCF = 1,000 cubic feet.

Groceries

Milk (gal)
$4.00
$4.00
about equal
Bread (lb)
$1.75
$1.75
about equal
Eggs (doz)
$2.21
$2.21
about equal
Ground Beef (lb)
$6.45
$6.45
about equal
Chicken (lb)
$1.90
$1.90
about equal
Bananas (lb)
$0.62
$0.62
about equal

Average prices — South vs South (BLS). Regional where available, otherwise U.S. average.

State Taxes

Sales Tax (TX / SC)
6.25%
6%
+0.3 pp in TX
Income Tax (top rate)
None
6.00%
+6.0 pp in SC

Austin vs Charleston — FAQ

Is it cheaper to live in Austin or Charleston?
Charleston, SC is cheaper. Its monthly baseline of $1,620 (1BR rent + utilities) runs about 2% below Austin, TX's $1,660, mainly because of rent.
How much more do you need to earn to live in Austin than in Charleston?
To keep rent near the recommended 30% of gross income, you'd want to earn roughly $58,000 a year in Austin versus $57,000 in Charleston.
Which has lower taxes, Austin or Charleston?
Austin is taxed under Texas's rules (no state income tax and a 6.25% state sales tax); Charleston under South Carolina's (a top state income tax rate of 6.00% and a 6% state sales tax).

Sources: US Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year (rent, income, home value, demographics); NOAA Climate Normals 1981–2010 (climate); EIA weekly retail (gas); Tax Foundation 2026 (state taxes).