Moving to South Carolina from New York
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from New York to South Carolina — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from New York to South Carolina, you would find that South Carolina is 11.9% cheaper than New York. A $75,000 salary in New York would need to be roughly $67,452 in South Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle. What to expect for your wallet after moving from New York to South Carolina. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $67,452 To maintain the same standard of living in South Carolina Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day Restaurants pay 2.9% more Groceries pay 4.5% less Transportation pay 21.2% less Housing pay 6.3% less Childcare pay 23.9% less Entertainment and Sports pay 24.9% 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 indicators for anyone considering a move from New York to South Carolina. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year New York performs better than South Carolina across all safety metrics. share of people without health insurance share of adults with obesity share of adults with diabetes share of adults who smoke New York performs better than South Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics. typical price of a home typical monthly gross rent share of homes that are owner-occupied South Carolina performs significantly better than New York across all what about housing? metrics. share of households with internet minutes each way to work New York generally does better on infrastructure, though South Carolina leads in average commute. 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 York generally does better on employment & economy, though South Carolina leads in poverty rate. average years of life at birth share of adults with a 4-year college degree New York 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) Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: Yes — South Carolina is on average about 10% cheaper than New York. City-level variation can be significant. Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $16,863 in South Carolina on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit). New York performs better than South Carolina across all safety metrics. New York performs better than South Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics. The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 58°F in Albany. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Albany gets 39.4 in. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Albany Columbia Jan–Mar 37°/19°F (2°/-7°C) 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) Apr–Jun 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) Jul–Sep 78°/58°F (26°/14°C) 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) Oct–Dec 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) View all months
Month Albany Columbia Jan 31°/15°F (-0.8°/-9.7°C) 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) Feb 35°/17°F (1.4°/-8.2°C) 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) Mar 44°/26°F (6.9°/-3.5°C) 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) Apr 58°/37°F (14.6°/2.9°C) 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) May 69°/47°F (20.8°/8.4°C) 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) Jun 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.6°C) 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) Jul 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.3°C) 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) Aug 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.5°C) 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) Sep 72°/52°F (22.3°/10.9°C) 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) Oct 60°/40°F (15.4°/4.2°C) 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) Nov 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.3°C) 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) Dec 36°/21°F (2.1°/-6.0°C) 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in South Carolina than New York?
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What's the weather like in South Carolina compared to New York?
