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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Augusta skyline
c_live_lee. CC0. Photo source · License
Columbia skyline
Akhenaton06. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photo source · License

Augusta vs Columbia

$114/mo more in Columbia

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
Less leftMore left

AugustaColumbiaAbout 69 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Columbia leaves you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay
  • 223 sunny days

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,187/mo in Columbia. $2,073/mo in Augusta. +$1,368 a year.

Augusta

$2,073

left each month

Columbia

$2,187

+$114 vs Augusta

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Columbia wins 3 of 4Augusta 1 · ties 0
$5,176Take-home · Columbia$5,282
$1,134Rent · Augusta$1,157
$1,969Other bills · Columbia$1,938
$2,073Left over · Columbia$2,187

Next

In 2022-2023, 711 households moved Augusta → Columbia (avg AGI $50,065). 690 went the other way. The whole move →

+$114 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical monthAugustaColumbia
Less leftMore left
Columbia · this breakdownAugusta · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Augusta, GA and Columbia, SC
Per monthAugustaColumbiaDifference
Gross pay$6,792$6,940+$148
Income and payroll tax$1,615$1,657+$42
Take-home pay$5,176$5,282+$106
Rent$1,134$1,157+$23
Getting around$575$546−$29
Groceries$385$384−$1
Healthcare$433$432−$1
Utilities$241$240−$1
Everything else$337$336−$1
Left over$2,073$2,187+$114

Salary to match Augusta

$81,000

Gross pay in Columbia that leaves the same amount as $81,500 in Augusta.

Tax difference

+$27

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 23.8% in Augusta, 23.9% in Columbia.

More about Columbia

Augusta, GA in full

A flat 5.19% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,350 and 218 sunny days; commutes average 24 minutes.

Columbia, SC in full

State income tax topping out at 6.2%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,377 and 223 sunny days; commutes average 25 minutes.

The other way

Start in Columbia.

Columbia → Augusta →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Columbia than Augusta?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Columbia leaves about $114 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,134 in Augusta and $1,157 in Columbia.

Does Columbia have state income tax?

Columbia is in South Carolina, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Augusta to Columbia?

The paycheck is taxed in South Carolina. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.

Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Augusta and Columbia changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.

Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.