Moving from North Carolina to South Carolina
North Carolina to South Carolina is a move of about 174 miles. Median rent is $1,180 a month in South Carolina and $1,228 in North Carolina, and the median home is $259,000 against $288,900. State income tax is up to 6.00% in South Carolina and a flat 3.99% in North Carolina. Property tax runs 0.48% of home value in South Carolina and 0.66% in North Carolina.
Moving to South Carolina costs
About the same
North Carolina and South Carolina work out within $50/mo of each other, renting on a $80,000 household income
Not your income? Run it on your own numbers
Worth knowing
State income tax is what separates these two states
Of everything that changes when you move from North Carolina to South Carolina, state income tax moves the most: about $80 a month more, which is most of the whole difference.
North Carolina vs South Carolina at a glance
| North Carolina | South Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $288,900 | $259,000 |
| Median rent | $1,228/mo | $1,180/mo |
| State income tax | Flat 3.99% | Up to 6.00% |
| Property tax rate | 0.66% | 0.48% |
| Groceries, gas & goods | 97 | 96 |
| Utilities | 89 | 88 |
Price levels are indexes where 100 is the national average. They cover everyday spending only; housing is the two rows above.
Monthly cost of living: North Carolina vs South Carolina
| Monthly | NC | SC | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Housing (median rent) | $1,228 | $1,180 | -$48 |
| Taxes | |||
| State income taxBiggest factor | $224 | $304 | +$80 |
| Sales tax (on everyday spending) | $69 | $88 | +$19 |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Groceries, gas & goods | $1,771 | $1,766 | -$5 |
| Utilities | $362 | $361 | -$1 |
| Total | +$45 | ||
Cost to move from North Carolina to South Carolina
$1,300 to $3,200
From a container you load yourself up to full-service movers.
Shipping one car adds about $350 to $600, against roughly $0 in fuel and lodging to drive it the 1-day trip yourself.
These are statewide figures. Charlotte is not North Carolina-average and Greenville is not South Carolina-average, so a specific city can look nothing like its state. Compare metro areas instead to narrow it to 387 real places, including which side of a state line you would live on.
Run this with your own numbers
What jobs pay in South Carolina, after the cost of living
Estimates only, not advice. Housing and income figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2024); price levels from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024); tax rates are for the 2026 tax year, compiled from state revenue departments and the Tax Foundation. Moving costs are modelled from published ranges rather than quoted. Every figure is a statewide median or average and will not match any particular household.