Moving to South Carolina from California
What to Expect
Considering a move from California to South Carolina? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from California to South Carolina, you would find that South Carolina is 16.4% cheaper than California. A $75,000 salary in California would need to be roughly $62,046 in South Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between California and South Carolina.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $62,046
To maintain the same standard of living in South Carolina
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 7.2% less
Groceries
pay 4.4% less
Transportation
pay 20.2% less
Housing
pay 21.6% less
Childcare
pay 27.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 26.4% 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 California.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
South Carolina performs significantly better than California 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
California performs better than South Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.
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 California across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
California generally does better on infrastructure, though South Carolina leads in average commute.
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
California generally does better on employment & economy, though South Carolina leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
California 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 | Sacramento | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sacramento | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) |
| Feb | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) |
| May | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) |
| Jun | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) |
| Jul | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) |
| Aug | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) |
| Sep | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) |
| Oct | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) |
| Dec | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°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 California?
On average South Carolina is about 17% less expensive than California, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to South Carolina?
Budget about $15,512 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?
South Carolina performs significantly better than California across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in South Carolina compared to California?
California performs better than South Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in South Carolina compared to California?
The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 74°F in Sacramento. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Sacramento gets 18.5 in.
