Cost of Living: Columbia, SC vs Montgomery, AL

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,143/mo in Columbia, SC versus $4,224/mo in Montgomery, AL. In the model, rent is about 16.87% of gross in Columbia, SC versus 15.43% in Montgomery, AL, so Montgomery, AL tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Columbia, SC
$4,143/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Montgomery, AL
$4,224/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Columbia, SC
16.87%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Montgomery, AL
15.43%
COLI tier: lower-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Columbia, SC and Montgomery, AL.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Montgomery, AL
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Montgomery, AL
  • Lower home prices: Montgomery, AL
  • Higher median household income: Montgomery, AL

Cost of Living Index

Columbia, SC: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Montgomery, AL: 83.2 (U.S. = 100)

Montgomery, AL has a lower cost-of-living index than Columbia, SC, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Columbia, SC: $1,100/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Montgomery, AL: $1,006/mo

Median rent in Columbia, SC is $94/mo higher than in Montgomery, AL.

Median Home Price

Columbia, SC: $243,500 · Montgomery, AL: $148,500

Median home price in Columbia, SC is $95,000 higher than in Montgomery, AL.

Median Household Income

Columbia, SC: $55,653 · Montgomery, AL: $55,687

Montgomery, AL has a higher median household income than Columbia, SC by $34.

Columbia, SC overview · Montgomery, AL overview · Popular comparisons