Moving to South Carolina from North Carolina
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from North Carolina to South Carolina — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from North Carolina to South Carolina, you would find that South Carolina is 1.6% cheaper than North Carolina. A $75,000 salary in North Carolina would need to be roughly $75,083 in South Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle. How your spending power changes when you relocate from North Carolina to South Carolina. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $75,083 To maintain the same standard of living in South Carolina The biggest cost differences at a glance Restaurants pay 12.9% more Groceries pay 1.6% less Transportation pay 11.7% less Housing pay 3.3% more Childcare pay 7.8% less Entertainment and Sports pay 5.0% 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. How North Carolina and South Carolina stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year North Carolina 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 North Carolina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Carolina leads in uninsured rate. typical price of a home typical monthly gross rent share of homes that are owner-occupied South Carolina performs significantly better than North Carolina across all what about housing? metrics. share of households with internet minutes each way to work North Carolina performs better than South Carolina across all infrastructure metrics. 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 North Carolina performs better than South Carolina across all employment & economy metrics. average years of life at birth share of adults with a 4-year college degree North Carolina 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: Headline costs are within a few percent between South Carolina and North Carolina; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences. A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $18,771 in South Carolina for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit. North Carolina performs better than South Carolina across all safety metrics. North Carolina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Carolina leads in uninsured rate. The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 67°F in Asheville. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Asheville gets 37.0 in. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Asheville Columbia Jan–Mar 52°/32°F (11°/0°C) 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) Apr–Jun 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) Jul–Sep 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) Oct–Dec 58°/38°F (15°/3°C) 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) View all months
Month Asheville Columbia Jan 47°/28°F (8.1°/-2.4°C) 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) Feb 50°/31°F (10.2°/-0.6°C) 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) Mar 58°/37°F (14.4°/2.9°C) 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) Apr 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) May 75°/53°F (23.9°/11.7°C) 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) Jun 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) Jul 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.1°C) 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) Aug 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.7°C) 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) Sep 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.8°C) 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) Oct 68°/46°F (19.9°/7.9°C) 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) Nov 58°/38°F (14.7°/3.1°C) 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) Dec 49°/30°F (9.4°/-0.9°C) 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in South Carolina than North Carolina?
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What's the weather like in South Carolina compared to North Carolina?
