Moving to South Carolina from Greece

moving to

What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Greece to South Carolina — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Greece to South Carolina, you would find that South Carolina is 65.6% more expensive than Greece overall. A €65,374 salary in Greece would need to be roughly $94,730 in South Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Greece to South Carolina.

What does your salary buy?

€65,374 $94,730

To maintain the same standard of living in South Carolina

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 66.4% more

Groceries

pay 92.0% more

Transportation

pay 10.9% less

Housing

pay 2.1 times more

Childcare

pay 3.0 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 15.2% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 1.15 USD (June 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Get free moving quotes to South Carolina

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Greece to South Carolina, based on official data.

Moved in 2023
1,040 ↑ 14% vs 2022

people moved from Greece to United States · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to United States?

Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Greece to South Carolina.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

GR
24.9%
SC
35.4%

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

GR
78.0%
SC
87.0%

South Carolina performs significantly better than Greece across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

GR
11.0%
SC
4.9%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

GR
$36,300
SC
$49,914

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

GR
81.5 yrs
SC
74.8 yrs

Greece performs better than South Carolina across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Athens Rain: 16.3 in/yr (414 mm)
72° / 54°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Athens Columbia
Jan–Mar 57°/42°F (14°/6°C) 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 78°/57°F (26°/14°C) 76°/55°F (24°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 90°/67°F (32°/20°C) 86°/65°F (30°/18°C)
Oct–Dec 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) 55°/36°F (13°/2°C)
View all months
Month Athens Columbia
Jan 54°/41°F (12.5°/5.2°C) 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C)
Feb 56°/42°F (13.5°/5.4°C) 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C)
Mar 60°/44°F (15.7°/6.7°C) 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C)
Apr 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.6°C) 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C)
May 79°/57°F (26.0°/13.9°C) 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C)
Jun 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.2°C) 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C)
Jul 92°/69°F (33.5°/20.8°C) 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C)
Aug 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C) 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C)
Sep 85°/63°F (29.2°/17.3°C) 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C)
Oct 74°/56°F (23.3°/13.4°C) 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C)
Nov 65°/50°F (18.1°/9.8°C) 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C)
Dec 57°/44°F (14.1°/6.8°C) 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C)

Data: Hellenic National Meteorological Service Hellenic National Meteorological Service, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Greece and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.

Greece passport

Greece passport holder visiting United States

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Greece passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Greece

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Greece without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in South Carolina than Greece?

No — South Carolina is on average about 26% more expensive than Greece. City-level variation matters.

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

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $23,682 in South Carolina on a €65,374 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from South Carolina?

Usually fine from major cities in South Carolina. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

How is healthcare in South Carolina compared to Greece?

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

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

The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 72°F in Athens. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Athens gets 16.3 in.

What language do they speak in South Carolina?

The official language in South Carolina is English. In Greece, the official language is Greek.

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At a Glance

GR
Population 10,533,871 4,625,364
Currency Euro (€) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Greek English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +30 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 112 911