USA Cost of Living Compare US cities and states with official data

Florida vs South Carolina: cost of living compared

Statewide price levels and incomes from BEA (2024); gas prices from EIA (weekly).

Is it cheaper to live in Florida or South Carolina?

  • Overall, South Carolina is 9.3% less expensive than Florida (BEA, 2024).
  • To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Florida works out to about $68,000 in South Carolina, before taxes.
  • Most of the difference is housing, which costs 34.1% less in South Carolina. Goods are 1.8% lower and other services 3.0% lower.
  • After adjusting for local prices, personal income per person is $52,463 in South Carolina and $57,131 in Florida (8.2% lower in South Carolina; BEA, 2024, in 2017 dollars).
  • Inside each state, metro price levels run from 86.8 in Florence, SC to 101.0 in Charleston, SC (South Carolina) and from 85.4 in The Villages, FL to 114.2 in Miami, FL (Florida), US = 100.
  • The gap is about where it was in 2019 (8.2%).

derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities and real personal income by state. Statewide averages mix cities and rural areas; taxes are not included. How we calculate.

Try your own salary

18% matches BEA's average basket. Set your own share if housing takes more or less of your budget.

Category by category

Both states against the US average (100).

Housing drives the gap: 34.1% lower in South Carolina than in Florida

Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.

  • Florida
  • South Carolina
All items
103.4 93.7
Goods
98.1 96.3
Housing (rents)
122.1 80.5
Utilities
90.1 88.3
Other services
101.3 98.3

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
FloridaSouth Carolina
All items103.493.7
Goods98.196.3
Housing (rents)122.180.5
Utilities90.188.3
Other services101.398.3
CategoryFloridaSouth CarolinaSouth Carolina vs Florida
All items103.493.7−9.3%
Goods98.196.3−1.8%
Housing (rents)122.180.5−34.1%
Utilities90.188.3−2.0%
Other services101.398.3−3.0%
Income per person, adjusted for prices $57,131 $52,463 −8.2%
Regular gas, week of October 19, 2026* $3.98 $3.86 −3.0%
Salary to match $75,000 in Florida $75,000 $68,000 −9.3%

Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Income: BEA real personal income per person, 2017 dollars. Gas: EIA weekly retail prices. *Lower Atlantic region average (EIA has no separate South Carolina figure).

Cheapest and most expensive places in each state

Florida

  1. The Villages, FL 85.4
  2. Sebring, FL 92.5
  3. Homosassa Springs, FL 93.5
  4. Tallahassee, FL 93.9
  5. Ocala, FL 95.2
  6. Gainesville, FL 96.7
  7. Crestview, FL 97.0
  8. Lakeland, FL 97.1
  9. Panama City, FL 97.3
  10. Pensacola, FL 97.7
  11. Sebastian, FL 98.3
  12. Deltona, FL 99.4
  13. Jacksonville, FL 99.5
  14. Palm Bay, FL 100.0
  15. Port St. Lucie, FL 100.2
  16. Punta Gorda, FL 100.5
  17. Tampa, FL 100.9
  18. Orlando, FL 101.4
  19. Cape Coral, FL 102.3
  20. North Port, FL 102.4
  21. Naples, FL 103.2
  22. Miami, FL 114.2

South Carolina

  1. Florence, SC 86.8
  2. Sumter, SC 88.0
  3. Spartanburg, SC 91.1
  4. Augusta, GA 91.9
  5. Greenville, SC 93.3
  6. Myrtle Beach, SC 93.6
  7. Columbia, SC 93.7
  8. Charlotte, NC 97.3
  9. Hilton Head Island, SC 98.0
  10. Charleston, SC 101.0

Metro areas ordered from cheapest to most expensive. BEA, 2024, US = 100.

How the gap has changed since 2008

The price gap between Florida and South Carolina has been fairly stable since 2008

Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.

  • Florida
  • South Carolina
US average = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
FloridaSouth Carolina
2008101.792.0
2009100.591.0
2010100.492.7
2011100.893.2
2012101.193.4
2013100.793.3
2014100.993.2
2015101.393.3
2016101.193.6
2017100.992.8
2018100.392.2
201999.691.5
2020100.690.9
2021101.493.6
2022102.393.3
2023103.693.5
2024103.493.7

Goods

  • Florida
  • South Carolina
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
FloridaSouth Carolina
200898.996.7
200997.094.1
201097.396.7
201197.496.1
201298.095.3
201398.696.0
201498.396.1
201597.495.1
201697.595.9
201798.495.6
201897.795.3
201996.195.7
202097.495.4
202198.496.1
202298.094.5
202398.295.9
202498.196.3

Housing (rents)

  • Florida
  • South Carolina
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
FloridaSouth Carolina
2008115.172.5
2009111.074.6
2010108.774.6
2011108.275.3
2012108.875.7
2013107.474.3
2014108.273.4
2015109.374.6
2016109.473.9
2017110.574.0
2018110.773.9
2019112.074.4
2020113.674.6
2021112.976.1
2022116.378.7
2023123.280.5
2024122.180.5

Utilities

  • Florida
  • South Carolina
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
FloridaSouth Carolina
200898.686.1
2009101.287.2
201096.289.4
201195.391.2
201293.595.0
201393.694.7
201495.397.4
201592.497.8
201689.996.9
201787.594.5
201891.193.2
201994.496.0
202089.893.7
202190.090.7
202294.889.2
202393.785.8
202490.188.3

Other services

  • Florida
  • South Carolina
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
FloridaSouth Carolina
200899.097.6
200999.096.4
201099.898.2
2011101.099.5
2012100.999.9
2013100.399.9
2014100.599.7
2015101.8100.2
2016101.3100.7
2017100.199.0
201899.297.9
201998.395.7
202098.895.0
2021100.499.9
2022101.299.4
2023101.597.9
2024101.398.3

What incomes buy in each state

Income per person after adjusting for prices: $52,463 in South Carolina, $57,131 in Florida

Real personal income per person, constant 2017 dollars (adjusted for each state's price level and for inflation).

  • Florida
  • South Carolina
  • United States

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, real personal income by state (SARPI), 2008–2024.

Show the numbers
FloridaSouth CarolinaUnited States
2008$43,259$40,414$45,816
2009$41,209$39,564$44,204
2010$42,735$39,099$44,808
2011$43,268$39,842$45,957
2012$43,189$40,612$46,796
2013$42,278$40,250$46,358
2014$43,812$41,750$47,661
2015$45,693$43,683$49,396
2016$46,126$44,377$49,828
2017$48,141$45,761$51,006
2018$49,935$46,643$52,242
2019$52,128$48,823$53,683
2020$53,897$51,406$56,514
2021$56,789$52,444$59,365
2022$55,163$50,407$57,104
2023$56,138$51,320$58,088
2024$57,131$52,463$59,195

More

Related state comparisons

What this comparison leaves out

  • Taxes. State income, sales and property taxes differ a lot between states and are not included.
  • Where you live inside the state. Statewide figures average cities and rural areas; the metro lists above show the spread.
  • Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider if housing is a bigger share of your budget.
  • Timing. BEA price levels and incomes are for 2024; gas prices are weekly.

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