Moving to Oklahoma from South Carolina
What to Expect
Considering a move from South Carolina to Oklahoma? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from South Carolina to Oklahoma, you would find that Oklahoma is 0.2% cheaper than South Carolina. A $75,000 salary in South Carolina would need to be roughly $65,711 in Oklahoma to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between South Carolina and Oklahoma.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $65,711
To maintain the same standard of living in Oklahoma
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 12.7% less
Groceries
pay 13.4% less
Transportation
pay 11.0% more
Housing
pay 11.1% less
Childcare
pay 10.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.6% 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
The numbers behind daily life in Oklahoma compared to South Carolina.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Oklahoma 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
South Carolina performs better than Oklahoma across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Oklahoma generally does better on what about housing?, though South Carolina leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Oklahoma 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
South Carolina generally does better on employment & economy, though Oklahoma leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
South Carolina performs better than Oklahoma 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 | Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) | 55°/33°F (13°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 80°/58°F (26°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) | 90°/69°F (32°/20°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) | 60°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Columbia | Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) | 49°/28°F (9.3°/-2.5°C) |
| Feb | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) | 53°/31°F (11.9°/-0.6°C) |
| Mar | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) | 62°/39°F (16.6°/4.0°C) |
| Apr | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) | 71°/48°F (21.5°/9.1°C) |
| May | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) | 80°/58°F (26.4°/14.7°C) |
| Jun | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) | 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.4°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) | 93°/72°F (34.0°/22.2°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) | 92°/71°F (33.6°/21.5°C) |
| Sep | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) | 84°/63°F (28.7°/17.1°C) |
| Oct | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) | 72°/50°F (22.4°/10.1°C) |
| Nov | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) | 60°/39°F (15.6°/3.9°C) |
| Dec | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) | 49°/29°F (9.7°/-1.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Oklahoma than South Carolina?
On average Oklahoma is about 12% less expensive than South Carolina, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Oklahoma?
Budget about $16,428 for 3 months in Oklahoma (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Oklahoma safe?
Oklahoma performs significantly better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Oklahoma compared to South Carolina?
South Carolina performs better than Oklahoma across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Oklahoma compared to South Carolina?
The average high temperature in Oklahoma City is 71°F, compared to 66°F in Columbia. Oklahoma City receives around 32.4 in of rainfall per year, while Columbia gets 46.3 in.
