City profile
Columbia, SC cost of living
SC · BEA RPP 93.662
2024 overall RPP
93.662
US = 100
2024 housing-rent RPP
79.455
Housing component
2024 goods RPP
96.339
Goods component
2-BR FMR (HUD)
$1,226/mo
FY2027 FMR
Where Columbia, SC sits in the verified metro set
RPP rank
#56 of 67
-6.3 vs U.S. average
Vs median metro
-5.8
median RPP 99.5
2-BR rent rank
#66 of 67
-463/mo vs median verified metro
RPP ranks use only verified ReloMath metro records. Sources: BEA MARPP 2024 (all items, housing, goods, other services); HUD FY2027 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent; reviewed 2026-10-04. These are historical area benchmarks, not current neighborhood prices. HUD FMR is a 40th-percentile gross-rent benchmark, not median rent. BEA metro and HUD rent-area boundaries can differ. BEA: Columbia, SC (Metropolitan Statistical Area) (code 17900). HUD: Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area (code METRO17900M17900); counties or county equivalents: Calhoun County, Fairfield County, Lexington County, Richland County, Saluda County. The official files were retrieved 2026-10-04.
Who’s moving in and out of Columbia, SC
IRS tax-return migration · 2022-2023Cost of living is only half the relocation question. The other half is which way people are actually voting with their feet, straight from IRS tax-return migration for the Columbia, SC metro.
Moved in
17,623
people · 9,791 households
Moved out
15,300
people · 9,111 households
Net
+2,323
net gain of residents
Net migration rank
#23 of 65
among IRS-covered ReloMath metros
Vs median net flow
+1,952
median +371 people
Largest flow share
6% in / 6% out
top named county shares
Where new residents came from
- Mecklenburg County, NC 1,001
- Orangeburg County, SC 899
- Sumter County, SC 863
- Aiken County, SC 752
- York County, SC 722
Where residents moved to
- Mecklenburg County, NC 991
- Greenville County, SC 903
- Aiken County, SC 818
- Newberry County, SC 789
- Charleston County, SC 757
Counts are IRS tax filers (returns ≈ households, individuals ≈ exemptions) who changed address between 2022-2023. Flows too small for IRS to disclose are grouped and excluded from the named lists. Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration data ↗, mapped to metros via the U.S. Census CBSA delineation.
What salary do you need in Columbia, SC?
Historical BEA 2024 salary illustration relative to the U.S. average (RPP 100), before tax and household adjustments. Housing is already included in overall RPP.
| In US-average city | You need in Columbia, SC | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $46,831 | $50,000 x (93.662/100) |
| $75,000 | $70,247 | $75,000 x (93.662/100) |
| $100,000 | $93,662 | $100,000 x (93.662/100) |
| $125,000 | $117,078 | $125,000 x (93.662/100) |
| $150,000 | $140,493 | $150,000 x (93.662/100) |
| $200,000 | $187,324 | $200,000 x (93.662/100) |
Salary illustrations use BEA 2024 overall Regional Price Parities (RPP) only, before tax and household-specific adjustments. Overall RPP already includes housing. HUD FY2027 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent is a separate historical gross-rent benchmark, not a current lease or median rent. Do not add rent to the RPP salary figure. Your lease and moving quote belong in a separate budget. Not financial advice.
Step 2: what will the move itself cost?
The historical salary illustration is separate from moving payments. Use an actual mover quote and lease terms in your budget summary.
State income tax note
Income tax and payroll deductions are not calculated. Obtain take-home estimates for your actual work and home addresses.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in Columbia, SC?
- In the historical BEA 2024 benchmark, Columbia, SC has an overall Regional Price Parity of 93.662 (US average = 100). Its overall price level is 6.3% lower than the national average for that year.
- What salary do I need to live in Columbia, SC?
- If you earn $100,000 in a US-average city (RPP 100), the BEA 2024 RPP illustration is approximately $93,662 in Columbia, SC, before tax and household adjustments.
- What historical rent benchmark is shown for Columbia, SC?
- The historical HUD Fair Market Rent benchmark for a 2-bedroom associated with Columbia, SC is $1,226 per month as of FY2027.
- Are people moving to or away from Columbia, SC?
- Based on IRS tax-return migration data for 2022-2023, about 17,623 people moved into the Columbia, SC metro and 15,300 moved out — a net gain of roughly 2,323 residents. The largest single source of new residents was Mecklenburg County, NC.
Curated nearby & similar cities
Similar verified metros by RPP
These links are chosen by data proximity: closest overall RPP to Columbia, SC, with HUD 2-BR rent as a tie-breaker.
Curated cost-of-living comparisons for Columbia, SC
Side-by-side cost of living and the equivalent salary you'd need — pick a destination.
Check published data changes
Review dated source notices for tracked metros alongside Columbia, SC's historical benchmarks. Change-log entries do not automatically refresh the BEA 2024 or HUD FY2027 values shown here.
View cost-of-living change log