Moving to United States from South Carolina
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Carolina to United States — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Carolina to United States, you would find that United States is 7.9% more expensive than South Carolina. A $75,000 salary in South Carolina would need to be roughly $90,658 in United States to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from South Carolina to United States.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $90,658
To maintain the same standard of living in United States
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.0% less
Groceries
pay 2.3% less
Transportation
pay 16.6% more
Housing
pay 4.6% more
Childcare
pay 12.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 20.7% 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
How South Carolina and United States stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
South Carolina performs better than United States across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
United States 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
share of people below the poverty line
United States generally does better on employment & economy, though South Carolina leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
United States 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), 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 | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Columbia | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) |
| Feb | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) |
| Apr | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) |
| May | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) |
| Jun | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) |
| Sep | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) |
| Oct | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) |
| Dec | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in United States than South Carolina?
Day-to-day costs in United States run about 21% higher than South Carolina on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to United States?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $22,664 in United States for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from United States?
Working remotely from United States's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in South Carolina and United States.
How is healthcare in United States compared to South Carolina?
South Carolina performs better than United States across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in United States compared to South Carolina?
The average high temperature in Washington is 66°F, compared to 66°F in Columbia. Washington receives around 41.5 in of rainfall per year, while Columbia gets 46.3 in.
What language do they speak in United States?
Both South Carolina and United States share the same official language: English.
