on $100k a year, leaving San Diego
changea dispatch from
columbia
SC
34.00°N
81.03°W
Columbia is the South Carolina capital, USC Gamecock country, and home to one of the largest urban rivers (the Congaree) flowing right past downtown. The Saluda River outside town is a tubing destination locals swear by, and Congaree National Park's old-growth cypress is a 30-minute drive. The state museum is a sleeper good time. Slower-paced than Charleston, less touristy.
in our guides
the verdict
under San Diego, every month
Move to Columbia and the monthly math gets easier. San Diego's rent is the headline; Columbia's is a footnote.
a quick ledger.
$1,551/mo
46% cheaper than San Diego(vs $2,890/mo)
6.5%
$233/mo less in state tax than San Diego
vs 9.3% in San Diego
$6,241/mo
$1,573 more than San Diego
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$255k
75% cheaper than San Diego
vs $1010k in San Diego
857k
vs 3.3M in San Diego
field notes, weather & such.
189
pleasant days a year, in columbia.
San Diego gets 332 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine. Summers run hot, though: 27 days above 95° vs San Diego's 0.
But the calendar thins out: San Diego stays 9.2× busier.
55/100
27% lower than San Diego
vs 75/100 in San Diego
Closest outdoor draw: Congaree National Park, 29.1 mi.
85/100
14% lower than San Diego
vs 99/100 in San Diego
10
82% fewer than San Diego
vs 55 nonstops in San Diego
neighbors of columbia on the map of tradeoffs:
compare columbia with:
