CostIndexUSA

Charleston, SC vs St. Petersburg, FL Cost of Living

Data: BEA Regional Price Parities · Census ACS · 2024

≈ Equal CostSC
Charleston
101
overall index
$1,950/mo rent
FL
St. Petersburg
100.9
overall index
$1,975/mo rent

Charleston and St. Petersburg have nearly identical costs of living.

Category Breakdown

Index values: 100 = U.S. national average. Higher = more expensive.

🏠 Housing+5.0%
Charleston
119.8
St. Petersburg
125.8
🛒 Groceries−0.8%
Charleston
96.3
St. Petersburg
95.5
🚗 Transportation−0.8%
Charleston
103.2
St. Petersburg
102.4
🏥 Healthcare−0.7%
Charleston
93.4
St. Petersburg
92.7
⚡ Utilities≈ Equal
Charleston
88.2
St. Petersburg
88.5

Salary Equivalency Calculator

Enter your current salary in Charleston to see what you'd need to earn in St. Petersburg to maintain the same purchasing power.

$
→
Equivalent salary in St. Petersburg, FL
$79,900
$100 less needed in St. Petersburg

Formula: salary × (100.9 ÷ 101) = salary × 0.9990. Based on BEA Regional Price Parities.

Housing Market

Charleston, SC

Median Home Price
$425,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,950
Housing Index
119.8
Price-to-Rent Ratio
18.2×

St. Petersburg, FL

Median Home Price
$352,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,975
Housing Index
125.8
Price-to-Rent Ratio
14.9×

St. Petersburg has 5.0% higher housing costs compared to Charleston.

Income & Job Market

Charleston, SC

Median Household Income
$85,200
Per Capita Income
$48,600
Unemployment Rate
3.4%
Population
150,227
Top Industries
MilitaryTourismHealthcareTechnologyManufacturing

St. Petersburg, FL

Median Household Income
$72,700
Per Capita Income
$41,400
Unemployment Rate
4.1%
Population
258,308
Top Industries
HealthcareFinanceTourismTechnologyRetail

Affordability at a Glance

Income-to-rent ratio: higher is better (more income relative to housing costs).

Charleston, SC
3.6×income-to-rent ratio

73% of income left after rent (median)

St. Petersburg, FL
3.1×income-to-rent ratio

67% of income left after rent (median)

Charleston vs other cities

Charleston, SC
vs
Columbia, SC
Index: 101Index: 93.7
Charleston, SC
vs
Greenville, SC
Index: 101Index: 93.3
Charleston, SC
vs
Myrtle Beach, SC
Index: 101Index: 93.6
Charleston, SC
vs
Syracuse, NY
Index: 101Index: 95.7
Charleston, SC
vs
Rockford, IL
Index: 101Index: 92.2

St. Petersburg vs other cities

St. Petersburg, FL
vs
Cape Coral, FL
Index: 100.9Index: 102.3
St. Petersburg, FL
vs
Daytona Beach, FL
Index: 100.9Index: 99.4
St. Petersburg, FL
vs
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Index: 100.9Index: 114.2
St. Petersburg, FL
vs
Scottsdale, AZ
Index: 100.9Index: 103.3
St. Petersburg, FL
vs
Lubbock, TX
Index: 100.9Index: 91.3

Data Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities 2024; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Zillow Research.

Cost indices use 100 as the U.S. national average. Values above 100 indicate costs above the national average. Data is updated annually.

This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for relocation or financial decisions.