Moving to South Carolina from Indiana
What to Expect
Considering a move from Indiana to South Carolina? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Indiana to South Carolina, you would find that South Carolina is 9.7% more expensive than Indiana. A $75,000 salary in Indiana would need to be roughly $84,263 in South Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Indiana and South Carolina.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $84,263
To maintain the same standard of living in South Carolina
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 16.0% more
Groceries
pay 24.4% more
Transportation
pay 3.1% more
Housing
pay 14.4% more
Childcare
pay 2.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.1% more
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 Indiana.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Indiana 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 Indiana leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Indiana generally does better on what about housing?, though South Carolina leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Indiana performs better than South Carolina across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Indiana 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
Indiana generally does better on family life, though South Carolina leads in bachelor's degree or higher.
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 | Indianapolis | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/26°F (6°/-3°C) | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/53°F (22°/12°C) | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/35°F (11°/2°C) | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Indianapolis | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/21°F (1.7°/-6.1°C) | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) |
| Feb | 40°/24°F (4.4°/-4.4°C) | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.8°C) | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.4°C) | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) |
| May | 72°/53°F (22.5°/11.7°C) | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) |
| Jun | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) |
| Jul | 84°/67°F (28.8°/19.2°C) | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) |
| Aug | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.3°C) | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) |
| Sep | 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.9°C) | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) |
| Oct | 64°/45°F (18.0°/7.3°C) | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 52°/36°F (11.0°/2.3°C) | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) |
| Dec | 38°/25°F (3.6°/-3.9°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 Indiana?
On average South Carolina is around 12% pricier than Indiana, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to South Carolina?
Budget about $21,066 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?
Indiana performs better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in South Carolina compared to Indiana?
South Carolina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Indiana leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in South Carolina compared to Indiana?
The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 62°F in Indianapolis. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Indianapolis gets 40.8 in.
