Job Offer In Charleston, SC

[Dex]

After months of being unemployed due to COVID I've finally received two job offers. One is in Connecticut where I'm currently living for an above average salary. The latter is in Charleston, SC in the Mt. Pleasant area for about 10% less than the Connecticut job salary. I've always thought about moving to the Carolinas and this could be a real opportunity to start somewhere anew. But I've got a few questions.

 

What is a good salary to live within relative comfort in the Charleston area? I have around $1000 in monthly debt (ex. Car Payment, Health and Auto Insurance etc.). I'd like to have a 1 to 2 bedroom apartment if my budget could stretch it and would prefer to be in the city but that's not a requirement.

 

Anything i should be aware of moving down from Yankeeland?

 

Whats the current state of the area? Culture? Development?

 

What is there to do down there?

 

I appreciate any and all responses. 

[Squirrel]

Congrats on the job offer. Other than that I'm useless. 

[stirs]

SC taxes and general cost of living would probably make up the difference in salary.

Lots of historical things in Charleston and interesting architecture and artsy things to do.

Very warm.  Summers might be what is known as "3 shower days"

Laid back culture for the most part.

Driving distance to Panther games!!

[Jeremy Igo]

You need to do the cost of living calculations. 

 

Luckily, there are calculators for that. 

 

https://www.nerdwallet.com/cost-of-living-calculator

[stirs]

16% cheaper to live in Charleston than Hartford

[hepcat]

Charleston is a decent place to live if you like a slower pace of life compared to a bigger city. I live in Austin and I have a buddy who lives in Charleston that I've visited a few times. If you enjoy going to the beach, eating good BBQ and chilling out, it's a good pace of life. If you want more city amenities, you might want to pass. Compared to Austin, Charleston is too slow and boring for me.

[Jeremy Igo]

4 hours ago, stirs said:

16% cheaper to live in Charleston than Hartford

So it is actually a 6% raise for him if he moves. 

[Ja Rhule]

Yankees coming to Carolina like..

 

[cookinbrak]

Low country boils. Yard drinking by the chiminea/firepit. Better BBQ. Hotter women.

Bojangles.

Piggly Wiggly.

[Icege]

Mount P is a little pricey as is Daniels Island. Gimme some time today and I'll crunch numbers for you based on rates in the area.

[Moose Hoover]

do it

[jasonluckydog]

Mount Pleasant is beautiful and horrible, too many people live on that island and traffic is a nightmare.  

 

 

[LinvilleGorge]

You've never felt hot until you've spent a summer in the SC lowcountry. My wife went to CofC and we lived in downtown Charleston the summer of '03. Never again. With that said, I'd choose it over Connecticut all day everyday if for nothing else just having access to the crab and shrimp ravioli at Nigel's.

[cookinwithgas]

I lived in Charleston in the 80s and thought it was great, even though it was literally the last place I wanted to be sent to by the Navy. It's gotten really crowded over the past couple of decades, and downtown has gotten super expensive, so you probably won't be able to swing that. I enjoyed living on James Island and it's close to downtown. But there are a lot of great things to see and do there. I'm originally from Western Mass and miss the summers up there, but not having to deal with the winters is so much more of a plus I wouldn't consider moving back up north (been in CLT for 25 years). One thing I tell people as a generalization is that up north you tend to have a few close friends, down south you tend to have a lot of buddies.