South Carolina rent guide
The Cheapest Cities to Rent in South Carolina (June 2026)
Data as of Jun 9, 2026 · 403 rentals across 59 South Carolina cities
South Carolina splits cleanly into a pricey coast and an affordable interior. The Charleston Lowcountry and the resort coast (Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach) carry the highest rents; the Midlands around Columbia and the Upstate around Greenville and Spartanburg are where the value is. We track every apartment we can find and rank the cities below by their typical rent, straight from live listings.
The lowest typical rent right now is in Taylors (about $1,104/mo), while Mount Pleasant sits at the top ($1,888/mo). For most renters the coast-vs-interior gap is the big decision; the bedroom count you need matters from there.
South Carolina cities by typical rent, cheapest first
| # | City | Typical | From | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taylors | $1,104 | $913 | 6 |
| 2 | Aiken | $1,116 | $888 | 7 |
| 3 | Anderson | $1,126 | $895 | 8 |
| 4 | Simpsonville | $1,183 | $1,000 | 8 |
| 5 | Spartanburg | $1,200 | $820 | 17 |
| 6 | Columbia | $1,201 | $800 | 68 |
| 7 | Greenville | $1,274 | $906 | 33 |
| 8 | Rock Hill | $1,318 | $1,055 | 15 |
| 9 | Myrtle Beach | $1,379 | $1,200 | 13 |
| 10 | Clemson | $1,400 | $850 | 7 |
| 11 | Summerville | $1,400 | $1,187 | 27 |
| 12 | Beaufort | $1,421 | $964 | 8 |
| 13 | Ladson | $1,433 | $1,175 | 7 |
| 14 | Florence | $1,438 | $895 | 5 |
| 15 | Fort Mill | $1,449 | $1,350 | 7 |
| 16 | Greer | $1,494 | $1,109 | 10 |
| 17 | North Charleston | $1,503 | $1,093 | 10 |
| 18 | Goose Creek | $1,585 | $1,380 | 5 |
| 19 | Bluffton | $1,701 | $1,111 | 7 |
| 20 | Charleston | $1,747 | $957 | 58 |
| 21 | Mount Pleasant | $1,888 | $1,630 | 12 |
How we rank them
“Typical” is the median rent across everything we track in a city, so half the listings are cheaper and half pricier. “From” is the single cheapest unit listed right now. We include cities with at least five live listings and exclude single rooms and senior housing. Small-city medians can swing on a handful of listings, so the bigger markets like Columbia, Charleston and Greenville are the most stable. Refreshes when our data does (last updated Jun 9, 2026).
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest city to rent in South Carolina?
By typical (median) rent it's Taylors, around $1,104/mo, then Aiken and Anderson. The best value clusters in the Midlands and Upstate (Columbia, Spartanburg, Sumter, Florence), away from the coast. The ranking rebuilds from live listings, so it moves with the market.
Is Columbia or Charleston cheaper to rent in?
Columbia, by a clear margin: about $1,201/mo typical versus $1,747 in Charleston, roughly $546/mo less. Charleston's tourism and coastal demand keep its rents among the highest in the state, while Columbia (the capital, and a big college town) stays one of the more affordable larger markets. If budget is the priority, the Midlands win.
Where is rent most expensive in South Carolina?
Mount Pleasant tops the list at about $1,888/mo, which tracks: the priciest rents are the Charleston Lowcountry (Charleston, Mount Pleasant) and the resort coast (Hilton Head Island, Bluffton), not the inland cities. The Midlands and Upstate value markets run far cheaper.
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