City comparison
Greenville, SC vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 10.8% higher than in Greenville, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Greenville, SC would need about $110,800 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,221 in Greenville, SC. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 20% in Greenville, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,552 a year higher in Greenville, SC than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.6% moving from Greenville, SC to Phoenix, AZ ($106,437 → $111,338), while prices change by +10.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.6% in real buying power.
- Greenville, SC: price level 93.3 (cheaper)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Greenville, SC | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.3 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,783 in Phoenix | $90,267 in Greenville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,221/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,580 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greenville | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 88.8 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 93.3 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greenville, SC → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$2,552/yr.
38 Weak offer
Phoenix, AZ → Greenville, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,552/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Greenville, SC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Greenville, SC to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greenville, SC | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Greenville → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,564 | −5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $78,117 | −5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,629 | −5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,338 | −5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,568 | −5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greenville, SC | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Greenville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,680 | $59,180 | $53,420 (−12.0%) |
| Software Developers | $121,790 | $131,750 | $118,926 (−2.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,870 | $80,820 | $72,954 (−5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,400 | $100,830 | $91,016 (+11.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.