$100K in Minneapolis = $91,509 in Charleston

Your $100K salary in Minneapolis (COL 106) has the same purchasing power as $91,509 in Charleston (COL 97). Charleston is cheaper โ€” your money goes 8% further there.

$100K in Minneapolis, MN
$5,496/mo take-home
Rent: $1,700/mo (31% of take-home)
Manageable
$91,509/yr in Charleston, SC
$5,311/mo take-home
Rent: $1,900/mo (36% of take-home)
Tight

Budget breakdown โ€” $100K in both cities

What $100K actually buys you in each city after taxes and core expenses.

Expense
Minneapolis
$100K
Charleston
$100K (same salary)
Monthly take-home$5,496$5,804
1BR rent$1,700$1,900
Groceries$391$376
Transport$95$55
Utilities$195$162
Internet$65$63
Left after essentials$3,050/month$3,248/month
To match your Minneapolis purchasing power in Charleston, you'd need to earn $91,509/year (8% less than $100K). At that salary, you'd have $2,755/mo left after essentials โ€” vs $3,050/mo in Minneapolis.

Frequently asked questions

What is $100K in Minneapolis equivalent to in Charleston?

$100K in Minneapolis (COL index 106) has the same purchasing power as $91,509 in Charleston (COL index 97). That's 8% less than your current salary.

If I move from Minneapolis to Charleston keeping my $100K salary, will I be better off?

Yes. If you keep earning $100K after moving to Charleston, you'd have $198 more per month after core expenses โ€” because Charleston is cheaper than Minneapolis.

How is the salary equivalent calculated?

The equivalent salary is calculated by multiplying your current salary by the ratio of the two cities' overall cost of living indices: $100K ร— (97 รท 106) = $91,509. This adjusts for differences in housing, food, transport, and general cost of living.

Equivalency uses overall COL index ratio. Take-home uses simplified federal/state brackets. Zillow ยท BLS ยท Numbeo ยท Q1 2026 ยท For general guidance only