Cost of living comparison
South Carolina is 7.9% more expensive than Iowa.
- Restaurants
-
pay 10.5% more in South Carolina
- Groceries
-
pay 1.6% more in South Carolina
- Transportation
-
pay 11.3% more in South Carolina
- Housing
-
pay 24.3% more in South Carolina
- Childcare
-
pay 20.9% more in South Carolina
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 14.6% less in South Carolina
- Clothing
-
pay 1.1% more in South Carolina
The cost of housing, childcare, transportation, restaurants, groceries, and clothing in South Carolina are more expensive than in Iowa.
If you lived in South Carolina instead of Iowa, you would:
pay 10.5% more for restaurants
|
Iowa
|
South Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant |
$15.50
|
$17.57
|
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$9.86
|
$10.40
|
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) |
$2.25
|
$2.41
|
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) |
$1.61
|
$1.86
|
|
pay 1.6% more for groceries
|
Iowa
|
South Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$2.75
|
$3.02
|
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) |
$5.26
|
$4.99
|
|
| Milk (1 gallon) |
$3.55
|
$3.25
|
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$2.97
|
$2.94
|
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) |
$4.90
|
$4.81
|
|
| Apples (1 lb) |
$2.27
|
$2.50
|
|
| Bananas (1 lb) |
$0.66
|
$0.81
|
|
| Oranges (1 lb) |
$2.31
|
$2.11
|
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
$2.19
|
$1.90
|
|
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
$1.17
|
$1.25
|
|
| Onions (1 lb) |
$1.32
|
$1.37
|
|
pay 11.3% more for transportation
|
Iowa
|
South Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
$3.26
|
$3.08
|
|
| Monthly public transit pass |
$41.60
|
$49.00
|
|
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) |
$28,209.92
|
$30,676.82
|
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) |
$15.53
|
$19.29
|
|
pay 24.3% more for housing
|
Iowa
|
South Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$68.83
|
$63.14
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area |
$1,149.79
|
$1,510.93
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center |
$848.38
|
$1,398.21
|
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$132.52
|
$144.70
|
|
pay 20.9% more for childcare
|
Iowa
|
South Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly |
$1,043.98
|
$1,335.89
|
|
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters |
$19,039.50
|
$21,679.50
|
|
pay 14.6% less for entertainment and sports
|
Iowa
|
South Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) |
$4.95
|
$4.79
|
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area |
$5.14
|
$5.08
|
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
$8.68
|
$7.37
|
|
| Monthly membership at local gym |
$61.12
|
$29.76
|
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema |
$12.83
|
$12.57
|
|
pay 1.1% more for clothing
|
Iowa
|
South Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$50.44
|
$45.07
|
|
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$39.50
|
$39.58
|
|
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$83.35
|
$89.11
|
|
| Men's business shoes (leather) |
$105.02
|
$113.24
|
|
Change currency:
Help us improve these prices
ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY
Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about South Carolina or Iowa. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.