Pay and tax
Columbia, SC Cost of Living Calculator
Prices in the Columbia, SC area are 6.3% below the US average, and housing 20.5% below (BEA, 2024). Compare a salary here with anywhere else.
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Columbia, SC price levels by category (US average = 100)
| Category | Price level | Against the US |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 93.7 | 6.3% below |
| Housing | 79.5 | 20.5% below |
| Goods | 96.3 | 3.7% below |
| Utilities | 88.3 | 11.7% below |
| Other services | 98.3 | 1.7% below |
What $75,000 in Columbia, SC equals in other large metros
| Metro area | Equivalent salary | Prices |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $90,128 | 20.2% |
| Los Angeles, CA | $90,928 | 21.2% |
| Chicago, IL | $82,924 | 10.6% |
| Dallas, TX | $82,524 | 10.0% |
| Houston, TX | $78,922 | 5.2% |
| Washington, DC | $87,166 | 16.2% |
| Philadelphia, PA | $82,124 | 9.5% |
| Atlanta, GA | $80,123 | 6.8% |
| Miami, FL | $91,409 | 21.9% |
| Phoenix, AZ | $82,684 | 10.2% |
How this calculator works
BEA regional price parities for the Columbia, SC metropolitan area, 2024: the price of the same basket of goods and services against the US average (100). Equivalent salaries scale by the ratio of the two areas' price levels.
Questions people ask
Is Columbia expensive to live in?
Overall prices are 6.3% below the US average; housing is 20.5% below.
What salary do I need in Columbia, SC?
To match $75,000 in an average-cost place, about $70,275. The area's median household income is $68,359.
How much is rent in Columbia, SC?
The median gross rent (including utilities) is $1,193 a month (Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
How does Columbia, SC compare with New York?
New York prices are 20.2% relative to Columbia, SC: $75,000 here equals $90,128 there.
Nearby and large metro areas
- Charlotte, NC
- Greenville, SC
- Charleston, SC
- Augusta, GA
- Myrtle Beach, SC
- Spartanburg, SC
- New York, NY
- Los Angeles, CA
- Chicago, IL
- Dallas, TX
- Houston, TX
- Washington, DC
- Philadelphia, PA
- Atlanta, GA
- Miami, FL
- Phoenix, AZ
- Boston, MA
- Riverside, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Detroit, MI
- Seattle, WA
- Minneapolis, MN
- Tampa, FL
- San Diego, CA
Related calculators
Sources
- BEA: Regional price parities by metro area, 2024
- US Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates (median rent B25064, income B19013)
Updated by the RateHerald team. The maths is tested against worked examples; report a problem.