City comparison
Greenville, SC vs Orlando, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Orlando, FL are 8.7% higher than in Greenville, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Greenville, SC would need about $108,700 in Orlando, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,731 a month in Orlando, FL versus $1,221 in Greenville, SC. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, FL and 20% in Greenville, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,843 a year higher in Greenville, SC than in Orlando, FL.
- 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 Greenville, SC to Orlando, FL changes real buying power by −8.0%, purely from prices.
- Greenville, SC: price level 93.3 (cheaper)
- Orlando, FL: price level 101.4 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Greenville, SC | Orlando, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.3 | 101.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,748 in Orlando | $91,956 in Greenville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,221/mo | $1,731/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,580 | $46,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA. Metro areas: Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greenville | Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 123.4 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 88.8 | 87.2 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 93.3 | 101.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greenville, SC → Orlando, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.0%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
42 Weak offer
Orlando, FL → Greenville, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
96 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 Greenville, SC to Orlando, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greenville, SC | Orlando, FL | Real change, Greenville → Orlando |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −8.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −8.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −8.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −8.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −8.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greenville, SC | Orlando, FL | Orlando pay in Greenville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,680 | $60,190 | $55,348 (−8.8%) |
| Software Developers | $121,790 | $129,620 | $119,193 (−2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,870 | $78,630 | $72,305 (−5.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,400 | $83,550 | $76,829 (−5.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.