North Carolina 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 North Carolina or South Carolina?
- Overall, living costs in South Carolina and North Carolina are within 1% of each other (BEA, 2024).
- To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in North Carolina works out to about $74,500 in South Carolina, before taxes.
- Housing is 1.1% lower in South Carolina, goods 0.3% lower and other services 0.1% higher, which roughly cancel out.
- After adjusting for local prices, personal income per person is $52,463 in South Carolina and $56,310 in North Carolina (6.8% 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 88.0 in Rocky Mount, NC to 98.2 in Raleigh, NC (North Carolina), US = 100.
- The gap is about where it was in 2019 (0.4%).
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.
Category by category
Both states against the US average (100).
Overall prices are about the same in North Carolina and South Carolina
Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| North Carolina | South Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 94.3 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.3 |
| Housing (rents) | 81.4 | 80.5 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 88.3 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.3 |
| Category | North Carolina | South Carolina | South Carolina vs North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 94.3 | 93.7 | −0.6% |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.3 | −0.3% |
| Housing (rents) | 81.4 | 80.5 | −1.1% |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 88.3 | −0.4% |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.3 | +0.1% |
| Income per person, adjusted for prices | $56,310 | $52,463 | −6.8% |
| Regular gas, week of October 19, 2026* | $3.86 | $3.86 | 0.0% |
| Salary to match $75,000 in North Carolina | $75,000 | $74,500 | −0.6% |
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 North Carolina figure). *Lower Atlantic region average (EIA has no separate South Carolina figure).
Cheapest and most expensive places in each state
North Carolina
- Rocky Mount, NC 88.0
- Pinehurst, NC 88.3
- Greenville, NC 88.4
- Goldsboro, NC 88.5
- Hickory, NC 88.5
- Fayetteville, NC 92.0
- Winston-Salem, NC 92.0
- Jacksonville, NC 92.1
- Greensboro, NC 92.9
- Burlington, NC 93.2
- Wilmington, NC 96.4
- Asheville, NC 96.5
- Charlotte, NC 97.3
- Durham, NC 97.6
- Virginia Beach, VA 97.9
- Raleigh, NC 98.2
South Carolina
- Florence, SC 86.8
- Sumter, SC 88.0
- Spartanburg, SC 91.1
- Augusta, GA 91.9
- Greenville, SC 93.3
- Myrtle Beach, SC 93.6
- Columbia, SC 93.7
- Charlotte, NC 97.3
- Hilton Head Island, SC 98.0
- 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 North Carolina and South Carolina has been fairly stable since 2008
Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| North Carolina | South Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 92.4 | 92.0 |
| 2009 | 91.3 | 91.0 |
| 2010 | 92.9 | 92.7 |
| 2011 | 93.6 | 93.2 |
| 2012 | 93.5 | 93.4 |
| 2013 | 93.7 | 93.3 |
| 2014 | 93.8 | 93.2 |
| 2015 | 93.6 | 93.3 |
| 2016 | 93.8 | 93.6 |
| 2017 | 93.0 | 92.8 |
| 2018 | 92.9 | 92.2 |
| 2019 | 91.9 | 91.5 |
| 2020 | 91.3 | 90.9 |
| 2021 | 93.7 | 93.6 |
| 2022 | 94.0 | 93.3 |
| 2023 | 94.4 | 93.5 |
| 2024 | 94.3 | 93.7 |
Goods
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| North Carolina | South Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 96.6 | 96.7 |
| 2009 | 94.3 | 94.1 |
| 2010 | 96.9 | 96.7 |
| 2011 | 96.4 | 96.1 |
| 2012 | 95.6 | 95.3 |
| 2013 | 96.0 | 96.0 |
| 2014 | 95.7 | 96.1 |
| 2015 | 95.0 | 95.1 |
| 2016 | 95.9 | 95.9 |
| 2017 | 95.7 | 95.6 |
| 2018 | 95.7 | 95.3 |
| 2019 | 95.7 | 95.7 |
| 2020 | 95.4 | 95.4 |
| 2021 | 96.2 | 96.1 |
| 2022 | 95.6 | 94.5 |
| 2023 | 96.8 | 95.9 |
| 2024 | 96.6 | 96.3 |
Housing (rents)
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| North Carolina | South Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 74.3 | 72.5 |
| 2009 | 75.3 | 74.6 |
| 2010 | 75.4 | 74.6 |
| 2011 | 76.3 | 75.3 |
| 2012 | 75.8 | 75.7 |
| 2013 | 76.0 | 74.3 |
| 2014 | 76.3 | 73.4 |
| 2015 | 75.8 | 74.6 |
| 2016 | 74.7 | 73.9 |
| 2017 | 75.5 | 74.0 |
| 2018 | 75.3 | 73.9 |
| 2019 | 75.4 | 74.4 |
| 2020 | 75.0 | 74.6 |
| 2021 | 76.0 | 76.1 |
| 2022 | 78.8 | 78.7 |
| 2023 | 80.8 | 80.5 |
| 2024 | 81.4 | 80.5 |
Utilities
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| North Carolina | South Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 85.4 | 86.1 |
| 2009 | 85.5 | 87.2 |
| 2010 | 87.6 | 89.4 |
| 2011 | 87.3 | 91.2 |
| 2012 | 90.5 | 95.0 |
| 2013 | 89.8 | 94.7 |
| 2014 | 90.4 | 97.4 |
| 2015 | 91.0 | 97.8 |
| 2016 | 88.4 | 96.9 |
| 2017 | 85.4 | 94.5 |
| 2018 | 86.8 | 93.2 |
| 2019 | 89.2 | 96.0 |
| 2020 | 87.7 | 93.7 |
| 2021 | 84.6 | 90.7 |
| 2022 | 82.5 | 89.2 |
| 2023 | 83.6 | 85.8 |
| 2024 | 88.6 | 88.3 |
Other services
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| North Carolina | South Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 97.7 | 97.6 |
| 2009 | 96.6 | 96.4 |
| 2010 | 98.1 | 98.2 |
| 2011 | 99.5 | 99.5 |
| 2012 | 99.9 | 99.9 |
| 2013 | 100.0 | 99.9 |
| 2014 | 100.2 | 99.7 |
| 2015 | 100.3 | 100.2 |
| 2016 | 100.7 | 100.7 |
| 2017 | 98.8 | 99.0 |
| 2018 | 98.3 | 97.9 |
| 2019 | 95.8 | 95.7 |
| 2020 | 95.5 | 95.0 |
| 2021 | 99.6 | 99.9 |
| 2022 | 99.7 | 99.4 |
| 2023 | 98.7 | 97.9 |
| 2024 | 98.2 | 98.3 |
What incomes buy in each state
Income per person after adjusting for prices: $52,463 in South Carolina, $56,310 in North Carolina
Real personal income per person, constant 2017 dollars (adjusted for each state's price level and for inflation).
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- United States
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, real personal income by state (SARPI), 2008–2024.
Show the numbers
| North Carolina | South Carolina | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $45,858 | $40,414 | $45,816 |
| 2009 | $44,321 | $39,564 | $44,204 |
| 2010 | $42,691 | $39,099 | $44,808 |
| 2011 | $42,462 | $39,842 | $45,957 |
| 2012 | $44,038 | $40,612 | $46,796 |
| 2013 | $42,463 | $40,250 | $46,358 |
| 2014 | $43,820 | $41,750 | $47,661 |
| 2015 | $45,796 | $43,683 | $49,396 |
| 2016 | $46,302 | $44,377 | $49,828 |
| 2017 | $47,646 | $45,761 | $51,006 |
| 2018 | $48,676 | $46,643 | $52,242 |
| 2019 | $50,966 | $48,823 | $53,683 |
| 2020 | $54,346 | $51,406 | $56,514 |
| 2021 | $56,146 | $52,444 | $59,365 |
| 2022 | $54,204 | $50,407 | $57,104 |
| 2023 | $54,748 | $51,320 | $58,088 |
| 2024 | $56,310 | $52,463 | $59,195 |
More
- Cost of living in North Carolina
- Cost of living in South Carolina
- Reverse: moving from South Carolina to North Carolina
- All states ranked
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.