Most Expensive Cities in South Carolina: 2024 Metro Ranking
Compare the most expensive cities and metro areas in South Carolina, ranked by the 2024 BEA cost-of-living index. 8 metro areas are available.
Where the Premium Lives in South Carolina
Housing creates the strongest upward pressure in Charleston-North Charleston, SC, at 119.8 against the national benchmark of 100. Its other components are local services 88.2 and tradable goods 96.3, so the top metro's premium is not interchangeable with a market led by another budget category.
Charleston-North Charleston, SC leads Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC, while Florence, SC marks the other end of this 8-market list. The 14.2-point span shows a tiered market rather than one statewide price level.
Below the leader, the next comparison tier is Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC, Columbia, SC, Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC. Their order comes from overall RPP, while the table keeps goods, services, and rents visible so a reader can reject a superficially similar market with the wrong cost mix.
1 of 8 listed metros exceed the U.S. benchmark, so South Carolina crosses the national line. That mixed result makes the metro name more decision-relevant than the statewide label.
At Charleston-North Charleston, SC's price level, a national-average $100,000 lifestyle translates to about $100,962. Treat that as a purchasing-power screen, then verify occupation pay, current HUD rent, and state tax treatment before comparing an offer.
Latest BEA release change
How Charleston-North Charleston, SC held against the national line
From 2023 to 2024, Charleston-North Charleston, SC's overall RPP fell by 0.1 points, from 101.1 to 101.0. The largest component move was rents , which changed by -3.6 points . RPP is a relative price index, so this reports movement against the U.S. benchmark rather than a household's dollar bill.
Housing is the pressure category on the latest snapshot (119.8 rents RPP vs 101.0 overall). Charleston-North Charleston, SC leads Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC by 2.9 points across a 14.2-point in-state span.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Charleston-North Charleston, SC has the highest overall Regional Price Parity in this South Carolina ranking at 101.0. The national average is 100, so this comparison identifies the highest relative price level among the metro areas BEA reports; it does not estimate a household budget or explain why local prices differ.
- Charleston-North Charleston, SC ranks first of 8 listed South Carolina metro areas by overall cost
- 1 of 8 listed metros are above the U.S. price-level benchmark
- Charleston-North Charleston, SC's overall RPP fell 0.1 pts from 2023 to 2024
| # | Metro | Overall |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | 101.0 |
| 2 | Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | 98.0 |
| 3 | Columbia, SC | 93.7 |
| 4 | Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | 93.6 |
| 5 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | 93.3 |
| 6 | Spartanburg, SC | 91.1 |
| 7 | Sumter, SC | 88.0 |
| 8 | Florence, SC | 86.8 |
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Index where national average = 100
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.