Moving to South Carolina from New Mexico
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from New Mexico to South Carolina — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from New Mexico to South Carolina, you would find that South Carolina is 4.3% more expensive than New Mexico. A $75,000 salary in New Mexico would need to be roughly $79,016 in South Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from New Mexico to South Carolina.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $79,016
To maintain the same standard of living in South Carolina
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 10.4% more
Groceries
pay 7.9% more
Transportation
pay 11.4% more
Housing
pay 12.0% more
Childcare
pay 5.1% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 10.9% 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
How New Mexico and South Carolina stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
South Carolina performs significantly better than New Mexico 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
New Mexico generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Carolina leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
New Mexico 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
New Mexico generally does better on infrastructure, though South Carolina leads in internet access.
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
New Mexico generally does better on employment & economy, though South Carolina leads in median household income.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
New Mexico generally does better on family life, though South Carolina leads in life expectancy.
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 | Santa Fe | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/22°F (9°/-5°C) | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/43°F (23°/6°C) | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/53°F (28°/12°C) | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 54°/28°F (12°/-2°C) | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Santa Fe | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43°/19°F (5.9°/-7.4°C) | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) |
| Feb | 47°/21°F (8.3°/-6.2°C) | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 54°/27°F (12.3°/-2.6°C) | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 63°/33°F (17.4°/0.6°C) | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) |
| May | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.3°C) | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) |
| Jun | 83°/52°F (28.3°/11.2°C) | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) |
| Jul | 85°/56°F (29.6°/13.4°C) | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) |
| Aug | 83°/55°F (28.1°/12.8°C) | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) |
| Sep | 77°/48°F (25.1°/9.1°C) | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) |
| Oct | 65°/38°F (18.6°/3.1°C) | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 53°/28°F (11.6°/-2.5°C) | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) |
| Dec | 43°/19°F (6.2°/-7.4°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 New Mexico?
Day-to-day costs in South Carolina run about 5% higher than New Mexico on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to South Carolina?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $19,754 in South Carolina for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is South Carolina safe?
South Carolina performs significantly better than New Mexico across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in South Carolina compared to New Mexico?
New Mexico generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Carolina leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in South Carolina compared to New Mexico?
The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 64°F in Santa Fe. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Santa Fe gets 15.7 in.
