Moving to Massachusetts from South Carolina
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from South Carolina to Massachusetts — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from South Carolina to Massachusetts, you would find that Massachusetts is 20.0% more expensive than South Carolina. A $75,000 salary in South Carolina would need to be roughly $88,479 in Massachusetts to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from South Carolina to Massachusetts.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $88,479
To maintain the same standard of living in Massachusetts
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 4.6% more
Groceries
pay 2.8% more
Transportation
pay 16.4% more
Housing
pay 23.7% more
Childcare
pay 47.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 40.9% 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 Massachusetts.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Massachusetts 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
Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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
Massachusetts 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
Massachusetts 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 | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) | 40°/26°F (4°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) | 78°/62°F (25°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) | 51°/38°F (11°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Columbia | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.4°C) |
| Feb | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) | 39°/25°F (3.7°/-4.1°C) |
| Mar | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) | 45°/31°F (7.4°/-0.5°C) |
| Apr | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) |
| May | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) | 66°/50°F (18.9°/9.9°C) |
| Jun | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.3°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) | 81°/65°F (27.4°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) | 80°/65°F (26.4°/18.1°C) |
| Sep | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) | 72°/57°F (22.4°/14.1°C) |
| Oct | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) | 61°/47°F (16.3°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) | 51°/38°F (10.8°/3.3°C) |
| Dec | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) | 41°/28°F (5.1°/-2.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Massachusetts than South Carolina?
No — Massachusetts is on average about 18% more expensive than South Carolina. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Massachusetts?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $22,120 in Massachusetts on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Massachusetts safe?
Massachusetts performs significantly better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Massachusetts compared to South Carolina?
Massachusetts performs significantly better than South Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Massachusetts compared to South Carolina?
The average high temperature in Boston is 59°F, compared to 66°F in Columbia. Boston receives around 43.8 in of rainfall per year, while Columbia gets 46.3 in.
