City comparison
Greenville, SC vs Philadelphia, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Philadelphia, PA are 10.0% higher than in Greenville, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Greenville, SC would need about $110,000 in Philadelphia, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,520 a month in Philadelphia, PA versus $1,221 in Greenville, SC. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Philadelphia, PA and 20% in Greenville, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,773 a year higher in Greenville, SC than in Philadelphia, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.2% moving from Greenville, SC to Philadelphia, PA ($106,437 → $117,284), while prices change by +10.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.2% in real buying power.
- Greenville, SC: price level 93.3 (cheaper)
- Philadelphia, PA: price level 102.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Greenville, SC | Philadelphia, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.3 | 102.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,966 in Philadelphia | $90,937 in Greenville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,221/mo | $1,520/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,580 | $54,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA. Metro areas: Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greenville | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 113.1 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 88.8 | 114.4 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 103.1 |
| Overall | 93.3 | 102.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greenville, SC → Philadelphia, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,773/yr.
40 Weak offer
Philadelphia, PA → Greenville, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,773/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Greenville, SC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Philadelphia, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Greenville, SC to Philadelphia, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greenville, SC | Philadelphia, PA | Real change, Greenville → Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,013 | +0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,289 | +0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,630 | +0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,284 | +0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,595 | +0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greenville, SC | Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia pay in Greenville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,680 | $78,570 | $71,450 (+17.7%) |
| Software Developers | $121,790 | $133,040 | $120,983 (−0.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,870 | $85,990 | $78,197 (+1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,400 | $101,180 | $92,011 (+13.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.