Cost of Living in Columbia, South Carolina
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Columbia, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 147,035
- Median household income
- $55,233
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 93.7
- Unemployment rate
- 4.4%
Is Columbia a good place to live?
Columbia sits in the middle for take-home money: a typical worker keeps more here than in 65 of 178 other large cities, so whether it pays off depends on your job.
A typical worker in Columbia keeps $5,859 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living6% below the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,239 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- Taxes$1,629 of state income tax on a typical wage
Cost of living in Columbia
Prices in the Columbia, SC area run 6% below the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 21% below the US average.
- Housing21% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)4% below the US average
- Utilities12% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)2% below the US average
- All items6% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,239 | $14,868 |
| Food | $476 | $5,712 |
| Transportation | $376 | $4,512 |
| Healthcare | $346 | $4,152 |
| Utilities | $230 | $2,760 |
| Total before taxes | $2,667 | $32,004 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Columbia | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,095 | $992 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,239 | $1,126 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,350 | $1,226 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,704 | $1,546 |
| 4 bedrooms | $1,946 | $1,754 |
Living in Columbia
How Columbia compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Columbia | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,233 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $287,600 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,249 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 57.6% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 23.8% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 47.7% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 28.4 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 20.5 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 12.5% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 1.6% | 3.7% |
Home internet
5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Columbia, led by Spectrum, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T. Fiber reaches 52.8% of homes and 57% can get gigabit speeds.
Pros and cons of living in Columbia
Pros
- Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 20.5 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
- Cheaper rent. Median rent is $1,249 a month, against $1,487 nationally.
- Lower cost of living. Prices are 6% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Affordable homes to buy. The median home is worth $287,600, against $360,600 nationally.
Cons
- Higher poverty rate. 23.8% of residents live below the poverty line, against 12.2% nationally.
- Lower incomes. Median household income is $55,233, against $81,604 nationally.
What your job keeps in Columbia
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $46,430
- Federal income tax
- −$3,392
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,552
- State income tax
- −$1,629
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$14,868
- Everyday costs
- −$17,130
a year, or $488 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Columbia, SC. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Columbia, SC area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Project manager | $85,260 | $32,855 |
| Registered nurse | $81,920 | $30,705 |
| Accountant | $69,210 | $22,526 |
| Teacher | $59,968 | $15,925 |
| Police officer | $59,260 | $15,399 |
| Social worker | $53,769 | $11,317 |
| Truck driver | $51,280 | $9,465 |
| Auto mechanic | $48,080 | $7,086 |
| Medical assistant | $40,680 | $1,584 |
| Nursing assistant | $37,400 | −$854 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Columbia on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Carpenter $7,080
- Civil engineer $38,813
- Data scientist $34,784
- Dental assistant $6,135
- Dental hygienist $30,995
- Dentist $124,708
- Diesel mechanic $16,188
- Electrician $16,239
- Financial analyst $34,378
- Firefighter −$1,181
- HVAC technician $14,172
- Lawyer $45,685
- Licensed practical nurse $17,519
- Lineman $25,730
- Mechanical engineer $43,806
- Nurse practitioner $54,225
- Occupational therapist $44,044
- Paralegal $13,883
- Paramedic $10,863
- Pharmacist $63,880
- Pharmacy technician $462
- Physical therapist $42,236
- Physician assistant $52,532
- Plumber $10,054
- Radiologic technologist $25,659
- Respiratory therapist $29,327
- Software engineer $57,352
- Speech-language pathologist $34,502
- Veterinarian $61,455
- Welder $8,313
Compare Columbia with other cities
Compare Columbia with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Columbia
14 licensed interstate movers are based in Columbia, and 6 more elsewhere in the Columbia, SC area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Columbia, SC a good place to live?
Columbia sits in the middle for take-home money: a typical worker keeps more here than in 65 of 178 other large cities, so whether it pays off depends on your job. The typical worker here earns $46,430 and keeps $5,859 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Columbia?
Prices in the Columbia, SC area are 6% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,239 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,428 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Columbia?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $38,600 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Columbia, SC area earns $46,430.
What is the average rent in Columbia?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,095 for a studio, $1,239 for a 1-bedroom and $1,350 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Columbia at $1,249 a month (2024).
Does Columbia have a state or city income tax?
Yes. On a typical wage of $46,430, South Carolina state income tax comes to about $1,629 a year. Columbia has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Columbia?
5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Columbia, led by Spectrum, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T. 52.8% of homes can get fiber and 57% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate