Cost of living comparison
compared to
Wisconsin vs. South Carolina Cost of Living Summary
Wisconsin is 4.8% more expensive than South Carolina.
- Restaurants
-
pay 7.7% less in Wisconsin
- Groceries
-
pay 11.1% less in Wisconsin
- Transportation
-
pay 5.0% more in Wisconsin
- Housing
-
pay 13.9% less in Wisconsin
- Childcare
-
pay 44.7% more in Wisconsin
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 12.2% more in Wisconsin
- Clothing
-
pay 4.7% more in Wisconsin
The cost of childcare, entertainment and sports, transportation, and clothing in Wisconsin are more expensive than in South Carolina. Expenses including housing, groceries, and restaurants are lower in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin vs. South Carolina Cost Breakdown
If you lived in Wisconsin instead of South Carolina, you would:
pay 7.7% less for restaurants
|
South Carolina
|
Wisconsin
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant |
$19.17
|
$16.68
|
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$11.16
|
$10.05
|
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) |
$2.65
|
$2.63
|
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) |
$2.13
|
$1.98
|
|
South Carolina vs. Wisconsin - Cost of restaurants
pay 11.1% less for groceries
|
South Carolina
|
Wisconsin
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$3.44
|
$3.29
|
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) |
$5.99
|
$6.16
|
|
| Milk (1 gallon) |
$3.54
|
$3.52
|
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$4.18
|
$4.12
|
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) |
$5.64
|
$5.37
|
|
| Apples (1 lb) |
$2.64
|
$2.11
|
|
| Bananas (1 lb) |
$0.76
|
$0.65
|
|
| Oranges (1 lb) |
$2.49
|
$1.90
|
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
$2.31
|
$2.13
|
|
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
$1.63
|
$1.02
|
|
| Onions (1 lb) |
$1.38
|
$1.23
|
|
South Carolina vs. Wisconsin - Cost of groceries
pay 5.0% more for transportation
|
South Carolina
|
Wisconsin
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
$2.88
|
$3.13
|
|
| Monthly public transit pass |
$46.17
|
$50.85
|
|
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) |
$33,190.90
|
$32,550.59
|
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) |
$16.34
|
$16.78
|
|
South Carolina vs. Wisconsin - Cost of transportation
pay 13.9% less for housing
|
South Carolina
|
Wisconsin
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$66.47
|
$68.49
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area |
$1,589.94
|
$1,194.55
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center |
$1,366.92
|
$970.14
|
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$141.20
|
$134.51
|
|
South Carolina vs. Wisconsin - Cost of housing
pay 44.7% more for childcare
|
South Carolina
|
Wisconsin
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly |
$1,346.85
|
$1,662.39
|
|
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters |
$19,168.15
|
$31,803.36
|
|
South Carolina vs. Wisconsin - Cost of childcare
pay 12.2% more for entertainment and sports
|
South Carolina
|
Wisconsin
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) |
$5.29
|
$4.51
|
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area |
$5.17
|
$4.99
|
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
$7.67
|
$10.26
|
|
| Monthly membership at local gym |
$32.75
|
$46.71
|
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema |
$12.71
|
$13.06
|
|
South Carolina vs. Wisconsin - Cost of entertainment and sports
pay 4.7% more for clothing
|
South Carolina
|
Wisconsin
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$50.06
|
$49.31
|
|
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$35.86
|
$42.83
|
|
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$84.43
|
$90.73
|
|
| Men's business shoes (leather) |
$112.81
|
$105.46
|
|
South Carolina vs. Wisconsin - Cost of clothing
The statistics used to build this comparison are calculated using data from users just like you.
We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world.
Learn more about our data sources. Page last updated: December 2025
Change currency:
Help us improve these prices
MyLifeElsewhere is a collaborative project. Please enter price information for your location to help assist us in making these comparisons more accurate.
Learn more
ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY
Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Wisconsin or South Carolina. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.