Moving to Minnesota from South Carolina
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from South Carolina to Minnesota — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from South Carolina to Minnesota, you would find that Minnesota is 4.0% more expensive than South Carolina. A $75,000 salary in South Carolina would need to be roughly $71,401 in Minnesota to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Saint Paul averages 56°F vs 66°F in Columbia, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from South Carolina to Minnesota.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $71,401
To maintain the same standard of living in Minnesota
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 4.0% less
Groceries
pay 3.4% less
Transportation
pay 14.3% more
Housing
pay 11.4% less
Childcare
pay 5.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 25.0% 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 Minnesota.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Minnesota 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
Minnesota 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 generally does better on what about housing?, though Minnesota leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Minnesota performs significantly better than South Carolina across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Minnesota 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
Minnesota 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 | Saint Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) | 32°/16°F (0°/-9°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 69°/50°F (21°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) | 43°/27°F (6°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Columbia | Saint Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) | 25°/9°F (-4.1°/-12.6°C) |
| Feb | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) | 30°/14°F (-1.3°/-9.9°C) |
| Mar | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) | 42°/26°F (5.5°/-3.6°C) |
| Apr | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) |
| May | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) | 70°/50°F (21.2°/10.0°C) |
| Jun | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) | 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.1°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) | 81°/62°F (27.1°/16.8°C) |
| Sep | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) | 72°/53°F (22.2°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) | 42°/28°F (5.6°/-2.4°C) |
| Dec | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) | 28°/14°F (-2.5°/-10.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Minnesota than South Carolina?
Yes — Minnesota is on average about 5% cheaper than South Carolina. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Minnesota?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $17,850 in Minnesota on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Minnesota safe?
Minnesota performs significantly better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Minnesota compared to South Carolina?
Minnesota performs significantly better than South Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Minnesota compared to South Carolina?
The average high temperature in Saint Paul is 56°F, compared to 66°F in Columbia. Saint Paul receives around 28.5 in of rainfall per year, while Columbia gets 46.3 in.
