City comparison
Greenville, SC vs Oklahoma City, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Greenville, SC are 3.2% higher than in Oklahoma City, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Oklahoma City, OK would need about $103,200 in Greenville, SC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,221 a month in Greenville, SC versus $1,017 in Oklahoma City, OK. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Greenville, SC and 16% in Oklahoma City, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $888 a year higher in Greenville, SC than in Oklahoma City, OK.
- 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 Oklahoma City, OK changes real buying power by +3.2%, purely from prices.
- Greenville, SC: price level 93.3 (cheaper)
- Oklahoma City, OK: price level 90.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Greenville, SC | Oklahoma City, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.3 | 90.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,942 in Oklahoma City | $103,155 in Greenville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,221/mo | $1,017/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,580 | $47,230 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Oklahoma City, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC and Oklahoma City, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greenville | Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 73.9 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 88.8 | 74.1 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 93.3 | 90.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greenville, SC → Oklahoma City, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$888/yr.
79 Strong offer
Oklahoma City, OK → Greenville, SC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$888/yr.
59 Fair 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 Oklahoma City, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greenville, SC | Oklahoma City, OK | Real change, Greenville → Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greenville, SC | Oklahoma City, OK | Oklahoma City pay in Greenville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,680 | $48,780 | $50,319 (−17.1%) |
| Software Developers | $121,790 | $122,390 | $126,251 (+3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,870 | $77,280 | $79,718 (+3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,400 | $82,920 | $85,536 (+5.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.