Moving to North Carolina from South Carolina
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from South Carolina to North Carolina — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from South Carolina to North Carolina, you would find that North Carolina is 3.5% more expensive than South Carolina. A $75,000 salary in South Carolina would need to be roughly $74,917 in North Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from South Carolina to North Carolina.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $74,917
To maintain the same standard of living in North Carolina
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 11.3% less
Groceries
pay 2.8% more
Transportation
pay 14.6% more
Housing
pay 2.7% less
Childcare
pay 11.1% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 8.2% 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 North Carolina.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
North Carolina 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
North Carolina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Carolina leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
South Carolina performs better than North Carolina across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
North Carolina 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
North Carolina 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
North Carolina 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 | Asheville |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) | 52°/32°F (11°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) | 58°/38°F (15°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Columbia | Asheville |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) | 47°/28°F (8.1°/-2.4°C) |
| Feb | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) | 50°/31°F (10.2°/-0.6°C) |
| Mar | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) | 58°/37°F (14.4°/2.9°C) |
| Apr | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) | 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) |
| May | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) | 75°/53°F (23.9°/11.7°C) |
| Jun | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) | 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) | 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.1°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.7°C) |
| Sep | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) | 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.8°C) |
| Oct | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) | 68°/46°F (19.9°/7.9°C) |
| Nov | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) | 58°/38°F (14.7°/3.1°C) |
| Dec | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-0.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in North Carolina than South Carolina?
Costs in North Carolina and South Carolina are broadly similar overall, though categories like rent and dining differ between cities.
How much money do I need to move to North Carolina?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $18,729 in North Carolina on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is North Carolina safe?
North Carolina performs significantly better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in North Carolina compared to South Carolina?
North Carolina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Carolina leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in North Carolina compared to South Carolina?
The average high temperature in Asheville is 67°F, compared to 66°F in Columbia. Asheville receives around 37.0 in of rainfall per year, while Columbia gets 46.3 in.
