Is Charleston cheaper than Manchester?

Charleston is cheaper: its overall cost of living runs about 5% below Manchester's (BEA Regional Price Parities).

Which has higher household income, Charleston or Manchester?

Manchester has the higher median household income — $106,013 versus $90,307 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 17% more.

Does a paycheck go further in Charleston or Manchester?

A paycheck stretches further in Manchester. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $100,337 there versus $89,447 in Charleston.

Which has cheaper rent, Charleston or Manchester?

Rents are close — $1,714/mo in the Charleston metro versus $1,714/mo in Manchester (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Charleston vs Manchester

Metro-area medians — Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area vs Manchester-Nashua, NH Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Manchester comes out ahead, winning 6 of the 8 clearly-decided measures.

Charleston is about 5% cheaper to live in, while Manchester households earn about 17% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Manchester.

Their widest everyday difference: Manchester has the tighter job market — 2.4% unemployment versus 3%.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Annual salary (gross)

Household size

Charleston, SC

$58,400

take-home / yr · 22% to tax

$57,844

real value after local prices

Manchester, NH

$61,314

take-home / yr · 18% to tax

$58,031

real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Manchester leaves you about $187/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure

Charleston

Manchester

Livability (CityLedger)

67/100

80/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

101.0

105.7

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$89,447

$100,337

Median household income

$90,307

$106,013

Median rent

$1,714/mo

Median home value

$430,300

$476,000

Unemployment

2.4%

Bachelor's degree or higher

42.2%

42.6%

Average commute

29.4 min

28.5 min

Air quality (median AQI)

Avg temperature

67°F

50°F

Choose Charleston for

+ Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
+ Median home value

Full Charleston profile →

Choose Manchester for

+ Livability (CityLedger)
+ Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
+ Median household income
+ Unemployment
+ Average commute
+ Air quality (median AQI)

Full Manchester profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Charleston and Manchester on cost, income, size, and education.

Charleston vs Worcester→Charleston vs Jacksonville→Charleston vs Richmond→Manchester vs Bremerton→Manchester vs Trenton→Manchester vs Olympia→

Charleston vs Manchester — frequently asked

Is Charleston cheaper than Manchester?: Charleston is cheaper: its overall cost of living runs about 5% below Manchester's (BEA Regional Price Parities).
Which has higher household income, Charleston or Manchester?: Manchester has the higher median household income — $106,013 versus $90,307 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 17% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Charleston or Manchester?: A paycheck stretches further in Manchester. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $100,337 there versus $89,447 in Charleston.
Which has cheaper rent, Charleston or Manchester?: Rents are close — $1,714/mo in the Charleston metro versus $1,714/mo in Manchester (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).