How much is rent in Columbia, SC?

The median 2-bedroom in Columbia rents for $1,314 a month with utilities, $249 less than the US median. A 1-bedroom runs $1,136 and a 3-bedroom $1,489.

By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Updated November 2026.

$1,3142-bedroom¹US: $1,563
$1,1361-bedroom¹US: $1,362
$52,560Income for a 2-bed at 30%²A year
21%Share of typical income³For a 2-bedroom

Rent in Columbia by number of bedrooms

Median rent, utilities included, next to the US median.¹

Studio$1,532/mo
Columbia
$1,532
US
$1,365
Income to keep it at 30%: $61,280²
1 bedroom$1,136/mo
Columbia
$1,136
US
$1,362
Income to keep it at 30%: $45,440²
2 bedrooms$1,314/mo
Columbia
$1,314
US
$1,563
Income to keep it at 30%: $52,560²
3 bedrooms$1,489/mo
Columbia
$1,489
US
$1,760
Income to keep it at 30%: $59,560²
4 bedrooms$1,855/mo
Columbia
$1,855
US
$2,153
Income to keep it at 30%: $74,200²

Work out what rent you can afford · Full cost of living in Columbia

Where rent costs less than Columbia

21 of the cities we cover have a lower median 2-bedroom rent. The cheapest and the closest:¹

City	2-bedroom rent	Less than Columbia
Paducah, KY	$886	$428/mo
Terre Haute, IN	$901	$413/mo
Muncie, IN	$919	$395/mo
Memphis area, TN/AR	$1,278	$36/mo
Greenville, SC	$1,279	$35/mo
Chattanooga, TN	$1,313	$1/mo

Rent in Columbia: questions people ask

How much is rent in Columbia?

Median rent with utilities, all units: $1,357 a month. By size: studio $1,532, 1 bedroom $1,136, 2 bedrooms $1,314, 3 bedrooms $1,489, 4 bedrooms $1,855 (Census ACS, 2025).

How much do you need to make to afford rent in Columbia?

To keep a 2-bedroom at 30% of income, about $52,560 a year. For a 1-bedroom, $45,440.

What share of income goes to rent in Columbia?

A year of median 2-bedroom rent equals 21% of the median household income of $76,375 (Census ACS, 2025).

Where is rent cheaper than Columbia?

Of the cities we cover, Paducah, KY ($886), Terre Haute, IN ($901), Muncie, IN ($919) have the lowest median 2-bedroom rent.

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Notes on the numbers

1Rent: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table B25031, median gross rent by number of bedrooms (rent plus utilities the renter pays), 2025. Covers all renters, including long-time tenants, so new leases often cost more. $3,500+ is the highest figure the Census publishes. Census table
2Income to keep rent at 30%: a year of rent divided by 0.3, the common rule of thumb. Our arithmetic.
3Household income: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table B19013, median household income, 2025. Census table

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