City comparison
Columbia, SC vs Nashville, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Nashville, TN are 2.9% higher than in Columbia, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbia, SC would need about $102,900 in Nashville, TN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $1,164 in Columbia, SC. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 19% in Columbia, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,843 a year higher in Columbia, SC than in Nashville, TN.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Columbia, SC to Nashville, TN changes real buying power by −2.8%, purely from prices.
- Columbia, SC: price level 93.7 (cheaper)
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Columbia, SC | Nashville, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.7 | 96.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,857 in Nashville | $97,222 in Columbia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,164/mo | $1,578/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,430 | $50,390 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbia, SC and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbia | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.5 | 104.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 88.3 | 72.0 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 95.1 |
| Overall | 93.7 | 96.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbia, SC → Nashville, TN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
60 Fair offer
Nashville, TN → Columbia, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbia, SC to Nashville, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbia, SC | Nashville, TN | Real change, Columbia → Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −2.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −2.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −2.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −2.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −2.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbia, SC | Nashville, TN | Nashville pay in Columbia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,050 | $61,460 | $59,753 (−0.5%) |
| Software Developers | $123,380 | $126,610 | $123,093 (−0.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $69,210 | $78,080 | $75,911 (+9.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,920 | $84,040 | $81,706 (−0.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.