Moving to South Carolina from Florida
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Florida to South Carolina — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Florida to South Carolina, you would find that South Carolina is 0.7% cheaper than Florida. A $75,000 salary in Florida would need to be roughly $71,196 in South Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Columbia averages 66°F vs 80°F in Tallahassee, making it significantly cooler. What to expect for your wallet after moving from Florida to South Carolina. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $71,196 To maintain the same standard of living in South Carolina Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day Restaurants pay 1.5% less Groceries pay 3.2% more Transportation pay 6.8% less Housing pay 10.5% less Childcare pay 21.5% more Entertainment and Sports pay 7.8% 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 indicators for anyone considering a move from Florida to South Carolina. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year Florida performs better than South Carolina across all safety metrics. share of people without health insurance share of adults with obesity share of adults with diabetes share of adults who smoke Florida generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Carolina leads in uninsured rate. typical price of a home typical monthly gross rent share of homes that are owner-occupied South Carolina performs significantly better than Florida across all what about housing? metrics. share of households with internet minutes each way to work Florida generally does better on infrastructure, though South Carolina leads in average commute. 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 Florida performs better than South Carolina across all employment & economy metrics. average years of life at birth share of adults with a 4-year college degree Florida 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) Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: Yes — South Carolina is on average about 5% cheaper than Florida. City-level variation can be significant. Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $17,799 in South Carolina on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit). Florida performs better than South Carolina across all safety metrics. Florida generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Carolina leads in uninsured rate. The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 80°F in Tallahassee. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Tallahassee gets 59.2 in. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Tallahassee Columbia Jan–Mar 68°/43°F (20°/6°C) 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) Apr–Jun 86°/61°F (30°/16°C) 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) Jul–Sep 91°/71°F (33°/22°C) 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) Oct–Dec 73°/48°F (23°/9°C) 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) View all months
Month Tallahassee Columbia Jan 64°/39°F (17.5°/3.9°C) 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) Feb 67°/42°F (19.7°/5.5°C) 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) Mar 74°/47°F (23.2°/8.4°C) 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) Apr 80°/52°F (26.6°/11.3°C) 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) May 87°/62°F (30.6°/16.4°C) 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) Jun 91°/69°F (32.8°/20.8°C) 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) Jul 92°/72°F (33.4°/22.2°C) 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) Aug 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.3°C) 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) Sep 88°/68°F (31.3°/20.1°C) 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) Oct 81°/57°F (27.4°/14.1°C) 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) Nov 73°/47°F (22.8°/8.6°C) 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) Dec 65°/41°F (18.5°/5.1°C) 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in South Carolina than Florida?
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What's the weather like in South Carolina compared to Florida?
