Moving to South Carolina from Arizona
What to Expect
Considering a move from Arizona to South Carolina? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Arizona to South Carolina, you would find that South Carolina is 1.7% more expensive than Arizona. A $75,000 salary in Arizona would need to be roughly $75,779 in South Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Columbia averages 66°F vs 87°F in Phoenix, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Arizona and South Carolina.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $75,779
To maintain the same standard of living in South Carolina
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 1.1% less
Groceries
pay 15.8% more
Transportation
pay 5.7% less
Housing
pay 11.6% less
Childcare
pay 26.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 10.4% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in South Carolina compared to Arizona.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Arizona performs better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Arizona generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Carolina leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
South Carolina performs significantly better than Arizona across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Arizona performs better than South Carolina across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Arizona performs better than South Carolina across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Arizona performs better than South Carolina across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Phoenix | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 73°/49°F (23°/10°C) | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 95°/69°F (35°/20°C) | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 103°/80°F (40°/27°C) | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Phoenix | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 69°/46°F (20.3°/7.6°C) | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) |
| Feb | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.3°C) | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.7°C) | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) |
| May | 95°/69°F (34.8°/20.6°C) | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) |
| Jun | 104°/77°F (39.9°/25.1°C) | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) |
| Jul | 106°/83°F (41.0°/28.1°C) | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) |
| Aug | 104°/82°F (40.1°/27.8°C) | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) |
| Sep | 100°/75°F (37.8°/24.1°C) | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) |
| Oct | 89°/64°F (31.8°/18.0°C) | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 76°/52°F (24.7°/11.1°C) | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) |
| Dec | 67°/45°F (19.6°/7.1°C) | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in South Carolina than Arizona?
South Carolina and Arizona are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.
How much money do I need to move to South Carolina?
Budget about $18,945 for 3 months in South Carolina (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is South Carolina safe?
Arizona performs better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in South Carolina compared to Arizona?
Arizona generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Carolina leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in South Carolina compared to Arizona?
The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 87°F in Phoenix. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Phoenix gets 8.2 in.
