

Chicago vs Greenville
$145/mo less in Greenville
ChicagoGreenvilleAbout 570 miles apart, a flight.
- Greenville costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,281/mo in Greenville. $2,426/mo in Chicago. −$1,740 a year.
Chicago
$2,426
left each month
Greenville
$2,281
−$145 vs Chicago
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 195 households moved Chicago → Greenville (avg AGI $122,774). 53 went the other way. The whole move →
−$145 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Chicago | Greenville | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $8,208 | $7,114 | −$1,094 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,130 | $1,720 | −$410 |
| Take-home pay | $6,079 | $5,394 | −$684 |
| Rent | $1,782 | $1,204 | −$578 |
| Getting around | $392 | $560 | +$168 |
| Groceries | $408 | $372 | −$36 |
| Healthcare | $459 | $419 | −$40 |
| Utilities | $255 | $233 | −$22 |
| Everything else | $357 | $326 | −$31 |
| Left over | $2,426 | $2,281 | −$145 |
Salary to match Chicago
$88,000
Gross pay in Greenville that leaves the same amount as $98,500 in Chicago.
Tax difference
+$1,028
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 25.9% in Chicago, 24.2% in Greenville.
More about Greenville
Chicago, IL in full
World-class city amenities at Midwest home prices, funded by 2.1% property tax.
Greenville, SC in full
Blue Ridge foothills, a walkable downtown, and a 0.57% property tax.
The other way
Start in Greenville.
Greenville → Chicago →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Greenville than Chicago?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Greenville leaves about $145 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,782 in Chicago and $1,204 in Greenville.
Does Greenville have state income tax?
Greenville is in South Carolina, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Chicago to Greenville?
The paycheck is taxed in South Carolina. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Chicago and Greenville changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.