City comparison
Charleston, SC vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 9.9% higher than in Charleston, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Charleston, SC would need about $109,900 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,630 in Charleston, SC. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 26% in Charleston, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,227 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Charleston, SC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Charleston, SC to Urban Honolulu, HI ($106,437 → $111,119), while prices change by +9.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.0% in real buying power.
- Charleston, SC: price level 101.0 (about average)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Charleston, SC | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.0 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,904 in Urban Honolulu | $90,989 in Charleston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,630/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,150 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Charleston-North Charleston, SC MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Charleston-North Charleston, SC and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Charleston | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 119.8 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 88.2 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 101.0 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Charleston, SC → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.0%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,227/yr.
28 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Charleston, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.9%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$1,227/yr.
98 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Charleston, SC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Charleston, SC to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Charleston, SC | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Charleston → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,438 | −5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,964 | −5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,445 | −5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,119 | −5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,310 | −5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Charleston, SC | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Charleston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,020 | $73,080 | $66,495 (+9.0%) |
| Software Developers | $132,150 | $120,230 | $109,396 (−17.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,350 | $74,990 | $68,232 (−14.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,800 | $139,260 | $126,711 (+36.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.