Moving to South Carolina from Virginia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Virginia to South Carolina — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Virginia to South Carolina, you would find that South Carolina is 10.9% cheaper than Virginia. A $75,000 salary in Virginia would need to be roughly $68,027 in South Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Virginia to South Carolina.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $68,027
To maintain the same standard of living in South Carolina
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 1.9% less
Groceries
pay 8.3% less
Transportation
pay 11.4% less
Housing
pay 3.5% less
Childcare
pay 27.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 16.6% less
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 Virginia to South Carolina.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Virginia performs 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
Virginia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Carolina leads in diabetes rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
South Carolina performs significantly better than Virginia across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Virginia generally does better on infrastructure, though South Carolina leads in average commute.
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
Virginia performs 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
Virginia performs 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 | Richmond | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/32°F (12°/0°C) | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/19°C) | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Richmond | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C) | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) |
| Feb | 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C) | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C) | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C) | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) |
| May | 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C) | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) |
| Jun | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C) | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C) | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C) | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) |
| Sep | 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C) | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) |
| Oct | 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C) | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C) | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) |
| Dec | 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C) | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in South Carolina than Virginia?
Yes — South Carolina is on average about 9% cheaper than Virginia. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to South Carolina?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $17,007 in South Carolina on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is South Carolina safe?
Virginia performs better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in South Carolina compared to Virginia?
Virginia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Carolina leads in diabetes rate.
What's the weather like in South Carolina compared to Virginia?
The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 70°F in Richmond. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Richmond gets 43.6 in.
