Moving to Washington from South Carolina
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Carolina to Washington — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Carolina to Washington, you would find that Washington is 13.3% more expensive than South Carolina. A $75,000 salary in South Carolina would need to be roughly $85,000 in Washington to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Seattle averages 60°F vs 73°F in Charleston, making it significantly cooler. Charleston and Seattle are about 2,400 mi apart.
Is Washington cheaper than South Carolina?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 12.7% more
Groceries
pay 6.8% less
Transportation
pay 21.9% more
Housing
pay 18.0% more
Childcare
pay 47.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 22.1% 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.
What salary do you need in Washington?
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $85,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Washington
Calculate with your salary →Key Indicator Comparison
How South Carolina and Washington stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
South Carolina generally does better on safety, though Washington leads in violent crime rate.
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
Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington 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
Washington generally does better on employment & economy, though South Carolina leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Washington performs significantly better than South Carolina across all family life metrics.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Washington vs South Carolina
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Charleston | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 61°/47°F (16°/8°C) | 50°/38°F (10°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/67°F (26°/19°C) | 64°/47°F (18°/8°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/75°F (30°/24°C) | 74°/55°F (23°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 67°/54°F (20°/12°C) | 52°/41°F (11°/5°C) |
View all months
| Month | Charleston | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57°/43°F (13.7°/6.0°C) | 47°/37°F (8.4°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.5°C) | 50°/37°F (9.9°/2.7°C) |
| Mar | 65°/52°F (18.3°/10.9°C) | 54°/39°F (12.1°/4.1°C) |
| Apr | 72°/59°F (22.2°/14.9°C) | 58°/42°F (14.7°/5.7°C) |
| May | 79°/67°F (25.9°/19.5°C) | 65°/47°F (18.2°/8.5°C) |
| Jun | 85°/74°F (29.2°/23.3°C) | 70°/52°F (21.1°/11.1°C) |
| Jul | 88°/77°F (30.9°/24.9°C) | 76°/56°F (24.3°/13.1°C) |
| Aug | 86°/76°F (30.2°/24.5°C) | 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.3°C) |
| Sep | 82°/72°F (27.8°/22.1°C) | 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.2°C) |
| Oct | 75°/62°F (23.7°/16.9°C) | 60°/46°F (15.4°/7.7°C) |
| Nov | 67°/54°F (19.6°/12.0°C) | 51°/40°F (10.5°/4.4°C) |
| Dec | 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.6°C) | 46°/36°F (7.6°/2.0°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Washington than South Carolina?
Day-to-day costs in Washington run about 13% higher than South Carolina on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Washington?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $21,250 in Washington for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Washington safe?
South Carolina generally does better on safety, though Washington leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Washington compared to South Carolina?
Washington performs significantly better than South Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Washington compared to South Carolina?
The average high temperature in Seattle is 60°F, compared to 73°F in Charleston. Seattle receives around 37.5 in of rainfall per year, while Charleston gets 44.4 in.
