Moving to South Carolina from Colorado

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Colorado to South Carolina — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Colorado to South Carolina, you would find that South Carolina is 8.2% cheaper than Colorado. A $75,000 salary in Colorado would need to be roughly $68,193 in South Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Colorado to South Carolina.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $68,193

To maintain the same standard of living in South Carolina

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 5.0% less

Groceries

pay 6.3% more

Transportation

pay 12.8% less

Housing

pay 11.0% less

Childcare

pay 4.1% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 18.8% less

See full cost of living breakdown

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

How Colorado and South Carolina stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

CO
463
SC
454
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

CO
2814
SC
2116

South Carolina performs significantly better than Colorado across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

CO
7.3%
SC
9.2%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

CO
26.3%
SC
35.4%

Colorado performs better than South Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

CO
$502,200
SC
$236,700
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

CO
$1,693
SC
$1,126

South Carolina performs significantly better than Colorado across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

CO
92.9%
SC
87.0%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

CO
26 min
SC
26 min

Colorado performs better than South Carolina across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

CO
3.6%
SC
4.9%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

CO
$74,650
SC
$49,914

Colorado performs better than South Carolina across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

CO
78.3 yrs
SC
74.8 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

CO
30%
SC
20%

Colorado 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.

Denver Rain: 14.3 in/yr (363 mm)
65° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

Columbia Rain: 46.3 in/yr (1175 mm)
66° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Denver Columbia
Jan–Mar 48°/21°F (9°/-6°C) 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 72°/43°F (22°/6°C) 76°/55°F (24°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/55°F (29°/13°C) 86°/65°F (30°/18°C)
Oct–Dec 53°/26°F (12°/-3°C) 55°/36°F (13°/2°C)
View all months
Month Denver Columbia
Jan 44°/17°F (6.7°/-8.1°C) 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C)
Feb 46°/19°F (7.9°/-7.3°C) 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C)
Mar 54°/26°F (12.4°/-3.1°C) 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C)
Apr 62°/33°F (16.4°/0.7°C) 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C)
May 71°/43°F (21.9°/5.9°C) 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C)
Jun 82°/52°F (28.0°/11.3°C) 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C)
Jul 89°/59°F (31.9°/14.9°C) 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C)
Aug 87°/58°F (30.7°/14.4°C) 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C)
Sep 78°/48°F (25.8°/9.1°C) 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C)
Oct 65°/37°F (18.5°/2.6°C) 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C)
Nov 52°/24°F (11.2°/-4.2°C) 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C)
Dec 43°/17°F (6.0°/-8.3°C) 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in South Carolina than Colorado?

Generally yes: South Carolina runs about 9% cheaper than Colorado on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to South Carolina?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $17,048 in South Carolina for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is South Carolina safe?

South Carolina performs significantly better than Colorado across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in South Carolina compared to Colorado?

Colorado performs better than South Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in South Carolina compared to Colorado?

The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 65°F in Denver. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Denver gets 14.3 in.

Share this