Support Us Button Widget

How do we stack up? Cost of living in Greenville compared to five other cities

Greenville skyline

Photo by: @chris_leyland_photography

Whether you moved here from somewhere else, grew up here, or have even contemplated moving away, you’ve probably been curious how Greenville’s cost of living compares to some of the most sought-after nearby cities.

We did some research (through Payscape + NerdWallet) to see how Greenville stacks up; and here’s what we found.

Charlotte, NC | 1% more expensive

High level, Charlotte and Greenville are pretty comparable. Although our housing costs are 10% lower than that of Charlotte, our utilities cost us 12% more.

According to NerdWallet, an average 2 BR rental is $960 in Greenville vs $1065 in Charlotte, while a median home price (3BR 2 BA) is $240,784 vs. $246,891. Overall, Payscale says it’s a wash.

Screen Shot 2017-10-02 at 9.39.30 PM

https://www.payscale.com/cost-of-living-calculator/South-Carolina-Greenville/North-Carolina-Charlotte

Atlanta, GA | 3% more expensive

You probably knew this already, but Greenville is a bit more affordable than Atlanta. With housing costs being 14% less than Atlanta ($240K~ vs $266K~) + transportation and healthcare coming in at 10% and 3% (respectively) less than that of our Georgia neighbor

Screen Shot 2017-10-02 at 4.17.28 PM

https://www.payscale.com/cost-of-living-calculator/South-Carolina-Greenville/North-Carolina-Charlotte

Charleston, SC | 9% more expensive

Just about everything in Charleston is more expensive than it is here in Greenville, including a staggering 25% hike in housing costs 😧. That’s $960 vs $1,229 for a 2 BR apt. (rental) and $240K~ vs $293K~ for a 3BR, 2BA home (median home price). I guess they have the beach.

Screen Shot 2017-10-02 at 10.37.08 PM

https://www.payscale.com/cost-of-living-calculator/South-Carolina-Charleston/South-Carolina-Greenville

Raleigh, NC | 1% less expensive

This one kind of came as a shocker. The capital of North Carolina, which is a part of the Research Triangle, has a professional hockey team, and three major universities surrounding it is actually less expensive to live in than Greenville. NerdWallet shows that a 2BR apartment in Raleigh will cost you $777 vs $960 here. The median home price (3BR, 2BA) is $213K~ there vs $240K~ here.

Screen Shot 2017-10-02 at 10.37.30 PM

https://www.payscale.com/cost-of-living-calculator/North-Carolina-Raleigh/South-Carolina-Greenville

Asheville, NC | 1% more expensive

Although NerdWallet says rental rates in Asheville are actually more affordable than that of Greenville ($869 vs 960), buying a home in Asheville will actually be 13% more expensive ($309K~ vs $240K~). So much for that mountain house…

Screen Shot 2017-10-02 at 10.37.47 PM

https://www.payscale.com/cost-of-living-calculator/North-Carolina-Asheville/South-Carolina-Greenville

San Francisco, CA (90% more expensive) + New York, NY (141% more expensive)

This one’s just for fun. In fact, I contemplated making this move (San Francisco) before taking my position with GVLtoday.

You probably already knew it was more expensive to live out west and in the Big Apple, but DYK it was this much more expensive? Not to mention housing itself is 325% more expensive in San Francisco + 504% in NYC than in Greenville.

  • SF Housing: $3,519 for a 2BR apt. and $1M for a median priced home

  • NYC Housing: $4,088 for a 2BR apt. and $1.6M for a median priced home

More from GVLtoday
According to reports, beer is on the menu at Clemson baseball games this year. Does that mean football is to follow?
Ready for your lunch break? From tacos to smoothies, check out these $10 or less lunches.
We’re putting our city’s vibrant ecosystem front-and-center in this new series.
With awards season coming up, we wanted to give our favorite local musicians their chance in the spotlight, so we need your nominees for the first GVLtoday Music Awards
The New York Times put together a list of nine food trends for 2025 including sauces, coffee, and grab-and-go options. Here’s where you can get try these food trends in Greenville.
When finished, the 40-acre County Square redevelopment will feature shopping, dining, and entertainment, along with office and residential space.
The beloved dive bar wants to keep its character while making some updates. Plus, two restaurant veterans are helping make it happen + will bring new concepts to the building.
Here’s the deal — the vintage shopping scene is stellar in Greenville.
Greenville-Spartaburg International Airport partnered with The Children’s Musuem of the Upstate and Plus Plus to bring GSPlay to life.
We sat down with owner of Sum Bar, Khailing Neoh, to find out what she keeps in her fridge. Plus, the one kitchen gadget she’d give everyone in the world.