Moving to South Carolina from Georgia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Georgia to South Carolina? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Georgia to South Carolina, you would find that South Carolina is 1.3% more expensive than Georgia. A $75,000 salary in Georgia would need to be roughly $77,343 in South Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Georgia and South Carolina.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $77,343
To maintain the same standard of living in South Carolina
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 9.7% more
Groceries
pay 12.3% more
Transportation
pay 10.2% less
Housing
pay 2.1% less
Childcare
pay 9.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 8.5% 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 Georgia.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Georgia 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
South Carolina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Georgia leads in adult smoking 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 Georgia across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Georgia 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
Georgia 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
Georgia 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 | Atlanta | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 58°/39°F (14°/4°C) | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/60°F (26°/16°C) | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/69°F (30°/20°C) | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 64°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Atlanta | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.3°C) | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) |
| Feb | 57°/38°F (13.7°/3.2°C) | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 65°/44°F (18.1°/6.7°C) | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 72°/51°F (22.5°/10.8°C) | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) |
| May | 80°/60°F (26.6°/15.7°C) | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) |
| Jun | 86°/68°F (30.2°/20.1°C) | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) |
| Jul | 89°/71°F (31.7°/21.8°C) | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) |
| Aug | 88°/71°F (31.2°/21.5°C) | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) |
| Sep | 82°/65°F (27.9°/18.2°C) | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) |
| Oct | 73°/54°F (22.6°/12.2°C) | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 64°/44°F (17.6°/6.9°C) | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) |
| Dec | 54°/36°F (12.2°/2.5°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 Georgia?
On average South Carolina is around 3% pricier than Georgia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to South Carolina?
Budget about $19,336 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?
Georgia performs better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in South Carolina compared to Georgia?
South Carolina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Georgia leads in adult smoking rate.
What's the weather like in South Carolina compared to Georgia?
The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 72°F in Atlanta. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Atlanta gets 49.7 in.
