City comparison
Myrtle Beach, SC vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Port St. Lucie, FL are 7.0% higher than in Myrtle Beach, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Myrtle Beach, SC would need about $107,000 in Port St. Lucie, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,467 a month in Port St. Lucie, FL versus $1,229 in Myrtle Beach, SC. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Port St. Lucie, FL and 20% in Myrtle Beach, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,843 a year higher in Myrtle Beach, SC than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.5% moving from Myrtle Beach, SC to Port St. Lucie, FL ($106,437 → $113,356), while prices change by +7.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.5% in real buying power.
- Myrtle Beach, SC: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Myrtle Beach, SC | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.6 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,033 in Port St. Lucie | $93,429 in Myrtle Beach |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,229/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $37,930 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Myrtle Beach | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.1 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 88.0 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 93.6 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Myrtle Beach, SC → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
48 Fair offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Myrtle Beach, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Myrtle Beach, SC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Myrtle Beach, SC to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Myrtle Beach, SC | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Myrtle Beach → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $65,735 | −0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $79,533 | −0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $95,326 | −0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $113,356 | −0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $133,953 | −0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Myrtle Beach, SC | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Myrtle Beach dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | not published | $53,610 | — |
| Software Developers | not published | $128,510 | — |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,520 | $79,430 | $74,211 (−0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,640 | $82,090 | $76,696 (−4.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.