City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Columbia | San Antonio | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,105/mo | $1,189/mo | 7.1% lower in A |
| Median home value | $226,200 | $198,000 | 14.2% higher in A |
| Median household income | $54,095 | $59,593 | 9.2% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 99.0 | 99.9 | 1.0% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 95.8 | 97.1 | 1.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 82.8 | 84.4 | 2.0% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 96.3 | 99.0 | 2.7% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Columbia, you'd need $104,139 in San Antonio to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Columbia, SC is about 4% cheaper overall than San Antonio, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 7% lower in Columbia than in San Antonio. If you earn $80,000 in Columbia, you'd need about $83,311 in San Antonio to keep the same standard of living.