Moving to South Carolina from Montana
What to Expect
Considering a move from Montana to South Carolina? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Montana to South Carolina, you would find that South Carolina is 0.4% more expensive than Montana. A $75,000 salary in Montana would need to be roughly $75,300 in South Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Montana and South Carolina.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $75,300
To maintain the same standard of living in South Carolina
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 6.9% less
Groceries
pay 20.5% more
Transportation
pay 2.8% more
Housing
pay 2.1% less
Childcare
pay 3.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.2% 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
The numbers behind daily life in South Carolina compared to Montana.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Montana 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
Montana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Carolina 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 generally does better on what about housing?, though Montana leads in median rent.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Montana 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
Montana 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
Montana performs better than South Carolina across all family life metrics.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Helena | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 40°/18°F (4°/-8°C) | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 67°/41°F (19°/5°C) | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/50°F (27°/10°C) | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 45°/22°F (7°/-6°C) | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Helena | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C) | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) |
| Feb | 39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C) | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C) | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C) | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) |
| May | 67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C) | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) |
| Jun | 76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C) | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) |
| Jul | 86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C) | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) |
| Aug | 85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C) | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) |
| Sep | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C) | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) |
| Oct | 59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C) | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C) | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) |
| Dec | 32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°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 Montana?
South Carolina and Montana are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.
How much money do I need to move to South Carolina?
Budget about $18,825 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?
Montana performs better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in South Carolina compared to Montana?
Montana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Carolina leads in adult smoking rate.
What's the weather like in South Carolina compared to Montana?
The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 58°F in Helena. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Helena gets 11.2 in.
