Maine
High tax burden · COL index 107
Wins 7 categories
South Carolina
Moderate tax burden · COL index 93
Wins 9 categories
Cost of living in Maine (index 107) runs 15% higher than South Carolina (index 93). Property taxes are meaningfully different: Maine averages 1.04% annually vs South Carolina's 0.43%. Politically, South Carolina voted Republican in 2024 (R+13.0) while Maine went Democratic (D+6.0).
Taxes
Housing & Cost of Living
Crime & Safety
Healthcare
Education
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Utilities & Daily Costs
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Category wins
7
Maine
9
South Carolina
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Is it cheaper to live in Maine or South Carolina?
Overall cost of living in Columbia, SC is 21.3% lower than in Portland, ME. The average listing price for a home in Columbia, SC is $345,221, which is 43.5% lower than Portland, ME. The average cost of groceries in Columbia, SC is 2.3% lower than Portland, ME.
Why are people moving out of SC?
What are the drawbacks of living in South Carolina?
What are the pros and cons of living in Maine?