Cost of living comparison
compared to
United States vs. South Carolina Cost of Living Summary
United States is 7.9% more expensive than South Carolina.
- Restaurants
- pay 2.0% less in United States
- Groceries
- pay 2.3% less in United States
- Transportation
- pay 16.6% more in United States
- Housing
- pay 4.6% more in United States
- Childcare
- pay 12.0% more in United States
- Entertainment and Sports
- pay 20.7% more in United States
- Clothing
- pay 5.4% more in United States
United States vs. South Carolina Cost Breakdown
If you lived in United States instead of South Carolina, you would:
pay 2.0% less for restaurants
South Carolina | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant | $19.17 | $19.45 | |
| Fast food combo meal McDonalds, or similar | $11.16 | $11.12 | |
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) | $2.65 | $2.56 | |
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) | $2.13 | $2.00 | |
South Carolina vs. United States - Cost of restaurants
pay 2.3% less for groceries
South Carolina | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread 1 loaf | $3.44 | $3.56 | |
| Local cheese (8 oz) | $5.99 | $6.50 | |
| Milk (1 gallon) | $3.54 | $3.97 | |
| Eggs 1 dozen | $4.18 | $4.27 | |
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) | $5.64 | $5.41 | |
| Apples (1 lb) | $2.64 | $2.37 | |
| Bananas (1 lb) | $0.76 | $0.78 | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | $2.49 | $2.04 | |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | $2.31 | $2.21 | |
| Potatoes (1 lb) | $1.63 | $1.34 | |
| Onions (1 lb) | $1.38 | $1.38 | |
South Carolina vs. United States - Cost of groceries
pay 16.6% more for transportation
South Carolina | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | $2.88 | $3.41 | |
| Monthly public transit pass | $46.17 | $65.85 | |
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) | $33,190.90 | $32,336.38 | |
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) | $16.34 | $17.61 | |
South Carolina vs. United States - Cost of transportation
pay 4.6% more for housing
South Carolina | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet connection 50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl | $66.47 | $68.97 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area | $1,589.94 | $1,664.59 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center | $1,366.92 | $1,416.15 | |
| Utilities for two (700 sq ft apartment) including electric, gas, water, heating | $141.20 | $150.19 | |
South Carolina vs. United States - Cost of housing
pay 12.0% more for childcare
South Carolina | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly | $1,346.85 | $1,387.27 | |
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters | $19,168.15 | $23,196.46 | |
South Carolina vs. United States - Cost of childcare
pay 20.7% more for entertainment and sports
South Carolina | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) | $5.29 | $5.84 | |
| Cappuccino in mid-range area | $5.17 | $5.15 | |
| Pack of cigarettes Marlboro or similar | $7.67 | $9.90 | |
| Monthly membership at local gym | $32.75 | $51.45 | |
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema | $12.71 | $13.64 | |
South Carolina vs. United States - Cost of entertainment and sports
pay 5.4% more for clothing
South Carolina | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular jeans Levi's brand | $50.06 | $51.08 | |
| Regular dress from H&M or similar store | $35.86 | $41.81 | |
| Running shoes Nike or Adidas | $84.43 | $87.56 | |
| Men's business shoes (leather) | $112.81 | $112.04 | |
South Carolina vs. United States - Cost of clothing
The statistics used to build this comparison are calculated using data from users just like you. We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world. Learn more about our data sources. Page last updated: June 2026
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