City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Myrtle Beach, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Buffalo, NY are 2.4% higher than in Myrtle Beach, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Myrtle Beach, SC would need about $102,400 in Buffalo, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,229 a month in Myrtle Beach, SC versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Myrtle Beach, SC and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $4,843 in SC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.4% moving from Buffalo, NY to Myrtle Beach, SC ($111,301 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.1% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Myrtle Beach, SC: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Myrtle Beach, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,703 in Myrtle Beach | $102,352 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,229/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $37,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Myrtle Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 83.1 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 88.0 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Myrtle Beach, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$17/yr.
76 Strong offer
Myrtle Beach, SC → Buffalo, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$17/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Myrtle Beach, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Myrtle Beach, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Myrtle Beach, SC | Real change, Buffalo → Myrtle Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $61,722 | −2.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $74,678 | −2.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $89,508 | −2.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $106,437 | −2.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $125,776 | −2.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Myrtle Beach, SC | Myrtle Beach pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | not published | — |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $74,520 | $76,272 (−7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $80,640 | $82,536 (−16.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.