City comparison
Memphis, TN vs Myrtle Beach, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Myrtle Beach, SC are 1.6% higher than in Memphis, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Memphis, TN would need about $101,600 in Myrtle Beach, SC to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,229 a month in Myrtle Beach, SC versus $1,154 in Memphis, TN. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Myrtle Beach, SC and 17% in Memphis, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,843 a year higher in Myrtle Beach, SC than in Memphis, TN.
- 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 Memphis, TN to Myrtle Beach, SC changes real buying power by −1.6%, purely from prices.
- Memphis, TN: price level 92.2 (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
| Memphis, TN | Myrtle Beach, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,587 in Myrtle Beach | $98,438 in Memphis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,154/mo | $1,229/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,890 | $37,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR and Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Memphis | Myrtle Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.8 | 83.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 74.1 | 88.0 |
| Other services | 95.4 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Memphis, TN → Myrtle Beach, SC
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
64 Fair offer
Myrtle Beach, SC → Memphis, TN
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
74 Strong 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 Memphis, TN to Myrtle Beach, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Memphis, TN | Myrtle Beach, SC | Real change, Memphis → Myrtle Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Memphis, TN | Myrtle Beach, SC | Myrtle Beach pay in Memphis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,510 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $125,580 | not published | — |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,960 | $74,520 | $73,356 (−4.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,500 | $80,640 | $79,380 (−2.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.