Moving to Hawaii from South Carolina
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from South Carolina to Hawaii — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from South Carolina to Hawaii, you would find that Hawaii is 33.2% more expensive than South Carolina. A $75,000 salary in South Carolina would need to be roughly $101,338 in Hawaii to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Honolulu averages 84°F vs 66°F in Columbia, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from South Carolina to Hawaii.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $101,338
To maintain the same standard of living in Hawaii
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 29.9% more
Groceries
pay 73.4% more
Transportation
pay 36.3% more
Housing
pay 32.0% more
Childcare
pay 4.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 42.0% more
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 South Carolina to Hawaii.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Hawaii performs significantly 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
Hawaii performs significantly 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 performs better than Hawaii across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
South Carolina generally does better on infrastructure, though Hawaii 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
Hawaii performs significantly 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
Hawaii performs significantly 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 | Columbia | Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) | 80°/67°F (27°/19°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 85°/71°F (29°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) | 89°/74°F (31°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) | 84°/71°F (29°/22°C) |
View all months
| Month | Columbia | Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) | 80°/66°F (26.7°/19.1°C) |
| Feb | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) | 80°/66°F (26.8°/18.9°C) |
| Mar | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) | 81°/68°F (27.3°/19.8°C) |
| Apr | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) | 83°/69°F (28.2°/20.8°C) |
| May | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) | 85°/71°F (29.2°/21.6°C) |
| Jun | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) | 87°/73°F (30.6°/23.0°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) | 88°/74°F (31.1°/23.6°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) | 89°/75°F (31.5°/23.9°C) |
| Sep | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) | 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.6°C) |
| Oct | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) | 87°/73°F (30.4°/23.0°C) |
| Nov | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) | 84°/71°F (28.8°/21.9°C) |
| Dec | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) | 81°/68°F (27.3°/20.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Hawaii than South Carolina?
No — Hawaii is on average about 35% more expensive than South Carolina. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Hawaii?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $25,334 in Hawaii on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Hawaii safe?
Hawaii performs significantly better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Hawaii compared to South Carolina?
Hawaii performs significantly better than South Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Hawaii compared to South Carolina?
The average high temperature in Honolulu is 84°F, compared to 66°F in Columbia. Honolulu receives around 17.1 in of rainfall per year, while Columbia gets 46.3 in.
