Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Columbia, SC and Sioux City, IA

For one person, living costs are similar in Columbia, SC and in Sioux City, IA: $2,222 and $2,168 a month, rent and utilities included.

108

Cost of Living Index in Columbia, SC
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Columbia, SC Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Sioux City, IA
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Sioux City, IA Living Index

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Columbia, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,222

/mo nomad

Sioux City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,168

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Columbia, SC and in Sioux City, IA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Columbia, SC and in Sioux City, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,222 in Columbia, SC versus $2,168 in Sioux City, IA.

Columbia, SC $2,222
Sioux City, IA $2,168

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,421 in Columbia, SC versus $3,305 in Sioux City, IA.

Columbia, SC $3,421
Sioux City, IA $3,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,621 in Columbia, SC versus $4,442 in Sioux City, IA.

Columbia, SC $4,621
Sioux City, IA $4,442

Living in Columbia, SC is roughly 2% more expensive than in Sioux City, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Columbia, SC 65% above, Sioux City, IA 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.14 $20.14

$20.33 $20.33

-0.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.6 $59.6

$56.0 $56.0

6.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.82 $11.82

$10.65 $10.65

10.99%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$6.14 $6.14

-12.38%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.11 $2.11

27.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.77 $1.77

23.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.59 $5.59

$5.07 $5.07

10.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.43 $6.43

$5.61 $5.61

14.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$0.87 $0.87

-9.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.92 $2.92

-11.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.38 $3.38

41.42%

Eggs

$4.05 $4.05

$3.60 $3.60

12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.38 $10.38

$7.92 $7.92

31.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.42 $11.42

$7.58 $7.58

50.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.28 $16.28

$16.77 $16.77

-2.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.28 $5.28

$4.74 $4.74

11.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.52 $1.52

7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.63 $6.63

$4.02 $4.02

64.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$3.96 $3.96

48.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 $3.20

$1.99 $1.99

60.80%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$4.87 $4.87

-13.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.38 $2.38

-15.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.13 $2.13

-19.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.48 $8.48

$8.94 $8.94

-5.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.20 $16.20

$15.12 $15.12

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.70 $1.70

10.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.08 $3.08

-10.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.77 $1.77

16.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.69 $39.69

$47.88 $47.88

-17.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.97 $1.97

1.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.20 $1.20

25.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.24 $18.24

$19.61 $19.61

-6.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.2K $35.2K

$35.4K $35.4K

-0.64%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.1K $25.1K

$25.0K $25.0K

0.25%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$279 $279

$167 $167

67.29%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$59.1 $59.1

$52.4 $52.4

12.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.2 $63.2

$69.0 $69.0

-8.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.80 $36.80

$98.8 $98.8

-62.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.86 $17.86

$20.08 $20.08

-11.06%

Cinema Ticket

$15.30 $15.30

$15.05 $15.05

1.66%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,128 $1,128

$1,098 $1,098

2.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.2K $22.2K

$12.0K $12.0K

85.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 $51.5

$43.40 $43.40

18.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.54 $39.54

$21.73 $21.73

81.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 $81.7

$77.2 $77.2

5.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$89.3 $89.3

28.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 $1,253

$923 $923

35.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$853 $853

$922 $922

-7.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,127 $2,127

$1,481 $1,481

43.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,747 $1,747

$1,743 $1,743

0.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,153 $2,153

$1,546 $1,546

39.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,636 $1,636

$1,546 $1,546

5.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,287 $3,287

$3,592 $3,592

-8.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

6.57

-0.15%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Columbia, SC: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sioux City, IA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Columbia, SC

$853 38.4%

Sioux City, IA

$922 42.5% 8.1% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Columbia, SC

$401 18.1%

Sioux City, IA

$288 13.3% 28.2% $113

Groceries & Markets

Columbia, SC

$392 17.7%

Sioux City, IA

$342 15.8% 12.8% $50

Eating Out

Columbia, SC

$321 14.5%

Sioux City, IA

$320 14.8% 0.3% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Columbia, SC

$129 5.8%

Sioux City, IA

$104 4.8% 19.5% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Columbia, SC

$67 3%

Sioux City, IA

$129 5.9% 91.3% $61

Getting Around

Columbia, SC

$57 2.6%

Sioux City, IA

$63 2.9% 9.6% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,253 in Columbia, SC and $923 in Sioux City, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sioux City, IA pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $60.0 in Columbia, SC vs $56.0 in Sioux City, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $342 per month, with Sioux City, IA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Columbia, SC

🇺🇸 Sioux City, IA

🕒 Local time

11:53 11:53 AM

10:53 10:53 AM

1 h behind Columbia, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

139,698

85,797

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Columbia, SC Sioux City, IA 1,640 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Columbia, SC
Sioux City, IA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Columbia, SC vs Sioux City, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sioux City, IA is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Sioux City, IA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,253 in Columbia, SC versus $923 in Sioux City, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Columbia, SC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Sioux City, IA – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $60.0 in Columbia, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,168 in Sioux City, IA versus $2,222 in Columbia, SC, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Sioux City, IA but tight or insufficient in Columbia, SC. The gap between the two cities makes Sioux City, IA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sioux City, IA is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Columbia, SC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Sioux City, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Columbia, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.