Cost of Living in Greenville, SC
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC — prices, rents and what jobs really pay here after taxes.
Salary comparison calculator
What would you need to earn in Greenville, SC to keep the same lifestyle — after taxes — as in another city?
How expensive is Greenville, SC?
With a price level of 93.3 (U.S. average = 100), Greenville, SC is cheaper than average. In detail, housing costs are 23% below average; everyday goods are 4% below average; utilities are 11% below average; other services such as healthcare and dining are 2% below average. The biggest difference from the national average is in housing.
Prices in Greenville, SC vs. the U.S. average
| Category | Index (U.S. = 100) | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 93.3 | −6.7% |
| Housing | 76.8 | −23.2% |
| Goods | 96.3 | −3.7% |
| Utilities | 88.8 | −11.2% |
| Other services | 98.3 | −1.7% |
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Rent in Greenville, SC
| Unit | Monthly rent | Income needed (30% rule) |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,112 | $44,480/yr |
| 1 bedroom | $1,155 | $46,200/yr |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,288 | $51,520/yr |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,573 | $62,920/yr |
| 4 bedrooms | $1,899 | $75,960/yr |
HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026, population-weighted across the metro's counties.
Salary needed to live in Greenville, SC
To keep the same standard of living as in an average-priced U.S. city, you would need to earn roughly:
| Salary in an average U.S. city | Equivalent in Greenville, SC | Take-home here |
|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $37,300 | $31,070 |
| $60,000 | $56,000 | $44,973 |
| $80,000 | $74,600 | $57,992 |
| $100,000 | $93,300 | $70,026 |
| $150,000 | $139,900 | $99,651 |
Scaled by the BEA price level (pre-tax). Take-home: single filer, South Carolina 2026 taxes. For a tax-aware comparison with a specific city, use the calculator above.
A monthly budget on the median wage
A single worker earning Greenville, SC's median wage of $46,580 takes home about $3,164 a month. A typical one-bedroom rents for $1,155, which is 37% of take-home pay — above the 30% guideline that financial planners suggest. That leaves about $2,009 a month for everything else.
Take-home pay in Greenville, SC
- Federal income tax$3,410
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,888
- Medicare (1.45%)$675
- South Carolina income tax$1,638
- Take-home pay$37,969
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 6.00% state
Highest-paying jobs in Greenville, SC
*In U.S.-average dollars after adjusting for local prices.
Pay and living costs in South Carolina cities
Half of South Carolina’s 2,305,080 workers earn less than $46,490 a year and half earn more; the middle 50% earn $34,630–$70,340 (BLS, May 2025). Prices vary a lot within the state: Spartanburg, SC stretches a paycheck furthest, while Myrtle Beach, SC is the costliest.
| Metro area | Median pay | Price level | 1-BR rent | Rent share | Left after rent / mo | Buying power* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC | $49,990 | 97.3 | $1,428 | 42% | $1,947 | $41,608 |
| Greenville, SC | $46,580 | 93.3 | $1,155 | 37% | $2,009 | $40,713 |
| Columbia, SC | $46,430 | 93.7 | $1,139 | 36% | $2,016 | $40,420 |
| Charleston, SC | $49,150 | 101.0 | $1,630 | 49% | $1,693 | $39,500 |
| Augusta, GA | $45,990 | 91.9 | $1,110 | 35% | $2,018 | $40,837 |
| Spartanburg, SC | $47,650 | 91.1 | $1,061 | 33% | $2,169 | $42,575 |
| Myrtle Beach, SC | $37,930 | 93.6 | $1,229 | 47% | $1,399 | $33,679 |
| Florence, SC | $43,520 | 86.8 | $922 | 31% | $2,053 | $41,135 |
| Hilton Head Island, SC | $43,850 | 98.0 | $1,623 | 54% | $1,372 | $36,667 |
| Sumter, SC | $42,890 | 88.0 | $972 | 33% | $1,963 | $40,020 |
*Yearly take-home pay (on each metro’s median wage, single filer) in U.S.-average dollars. Price level: BEA RPP 2024 (U.S. = 100). Rent: HUD FY2026 one-bedroom fair market rent.
Greenville, SC vs. similar-size cities
| Metro area | Price level | 1-BR rent | Median wage | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville, SC | 93.3 | $1,155 | $46,580 | 434,900 |
| Knoxville, TN | 92.6 | $1,126 | $47,080 | 424,600 |
| New Orleans, LA | 92.6 | $1,105 | $47,290 | 445,550 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | 111.0 | $2,016 | $57,220 | 446,380 |
| Albany, NY | 99.6 | $1,417 | $58,460 | 449,410 |
| Tulsa, OK | 89.2 | $976 | $46,670 | 458,730 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 90.8 | $1,048 | $48,710 | 409,690 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Greenville, SC expensive to live in?
According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, overall prices in the Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC metro area are 93.3% of the U.S. average, with housing at 76.8%. It is the #203 most expensive of 387 metro areas we track.
What salary do you need to live in Greenville, SC?
To match the buying power of a $60,000 salary in an average-priced U.S. city you would need about $55,956 in Greenville, SC (before tax differences). The median wage across all jobs here is $46,580.
Can you afford Greenville, SC on the median wage?
A single worker on the $46,580 median wage takes home about $3,164 a month after 2026 taxes; a one-bedroom at $1,155 would take 37% of that.
How much is rent in Greenville, SC?
HUD’s FY2026 fair market rents for Greenville, SC are $1,112 for a studio, $1,155 for one bedroom, $1,288 for two bedrooms and $1,573 for three bedrooms, including utilities.
Top salaries by field in Greenville, SC
Management Occupations
- General and Operations Manager — $106,750
Business and Financial Operations Occupations
- Project Management Specialist — $94,780
- Accountant and Auditor — $76,870
- Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist — $71,910
- Human Resources Specialist — $66,870
Architecture and Engineering Occupations
- Industrial Engineer — $101,300
Educational Instruction and Library Occupations
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education — $64,060
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education — $60,680
- Substitute Teachers, Short-Term — $34,930
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations
- Registered Nurse — $81,400
Healthcare Support Occupations
- Medical Assistant — $44,860
- Nursing Assistant — $37,220
- Home Health and Personal Care Aide — $29,800
Protective Service Occupations
- Security Guard — $35,760
Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $38,790
- Cooks, Restaurant — $35,680
- Food Preparation Worker — $30,430
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $27,850
- Waiter and Waitress — $19,950
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations
- Landscaping and Groundskeeping Worker — $36,610
- Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners — $31,180
Sales and Related Occupations
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products — $60,840
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel — $51,460
- First-Line Supervisor of Retail Sales Workers — $47,990
- Retail Salesperson — $30,840
- Cashier — $29,080
Office and Administrative Support Occupations
- First-Line Supervisor of Office and Administrative Support Workers — $63,630
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks — $49,600
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive — $46,120
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks — $44,540
- Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant — $39,410
- Customer Service Representative — $39,010
- Office Clerks, General — $36,030
Construction and Extraction Occupations
- First-Line Supervisor of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers — $74,850
- Construction Laborer — $44,380
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations
- Industrial Machinery Mechanic — $62,570
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General — $49,500
Production Occupations
- First-Line Supervisor of Production and Operating Workers — $76,650
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers — $47,470
- Miscellaneous Assembler and Fabricator — $40,840
Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver — $53,080
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand — $38,520
- Stocker and Order Filler — $35,560