Moving to South Carolina from Minnesota
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Minnesota to South Carolina — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Minnesota to South Carolina, you would find that South Carolina is 0.7% cheaper than Minnesota. A $75,000 salary in Minnesota would need to be roughly $78,780 in South Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Columbia averages 66°F vs 56°F in Saint Paul, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Minnesota to South Carolina.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $78,780
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 4.2% more
Groceries
pay 4.4% more
Transportation
pay 9.0% less
Housing
pay 14.6% more
Childcare
pay 4.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 15.2% 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
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Minnesota to South Carolina.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Minnesota 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
Minnesota performs better than South Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
South Carolina generally does better on what about housing?, though Minnesota leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Minnesota 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
Minnesota 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
Minnesota 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 | Saint Paul | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/16°F (0°/-9°C) | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 69°/50°F (21°/10°C) | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/60°F (26°/16°C) | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/27°F (6°/-3°C) | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Saint Paul | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25°/9°F (-4.1°/-12.6°C) | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) |
| Feb | 30°/14°F (-1.3°/-9.9°C) | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 42°/26°F (5.5°/-3.6°C) | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) |
| May | 70°/50°F (21.2°/10.0°C) | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) |
| Jun | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) |
| Jul | 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.1°C) | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) |
| Aug | 81°/62°F (27.1°/16.8°C) | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) |
| Sep | 72°/53°F (22.2°/11.7°C) | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) |
| Oct | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.7°C) | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 42°/28°F (5.6°/-2.4°C) | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) |
| Dec | 28°/14°F (-2.5°/-10.1°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 Minnesota?
No — South Carolina is on average about 5% more expensive than Minnesota. 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 $19,695 in South Carolina on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is South Carolina safe?
Minnesota performs better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in South Carolina compared to Minnesota?
Minnesota performs better than South Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in South Carolina compared to Minnesota?
The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 56°F in Saint Paul. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Saint Paul gets 28.5 in.
