City comparison
Myrtle Beach, SC vs Providence, RI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Providence, RI are 8.7% higher than in Myrtle Beach, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Myrtle Beach, SC would need about $108,700 in Providence, RI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,402 a month in Providence, RI versus $1,229 in Myrtle Beach, SC. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Providence, RI and 20% in Myrtle Beach, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,695 a year higher in Myrtle Beach, SC than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.3% moving from Myrtle Beach, SC to Providence, RI ($106,437 → $120,548), while prices change by +8.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.2% in real buying power.
- Myrtle Beach, SC: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (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 | Providence, RI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.6 | 101.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,683 in Providence | $92,011 in Myrtle Beach |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,229/mo | $1,402/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $3,148 (RI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $37,930 | $53,680 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC and Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Myrtle Beach | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.1 | 103.9 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 97.1 |
| Utilities | 88.0 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 102.3 |
| Overall | 93.6 | 101.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Myrtle Beach, SC → Providence, RI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,695/yr.
44 Weak offer
Providence, RI → Myrtle Beach, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,695/yr.
96 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Myrtle Beach, SC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Providence, RI is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Myrtle Beach, SC to Providence, RI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Myrtle Beach, SC | Providence, RI | Real change, Myrtle Beach → Providence |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,905 | +4.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,579 | +4.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $101,375 | +4.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,548 | +4.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $142,452 | +4.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Myrtle Beach, SC | Providence, RI | Providence pay in Myrtle Beach dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | not published | $86,720 | — |
| Software Developers | not published | $130,690 | — |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,520 | $95,020 | $87,429 (+17.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,640 | $99,880 | $91,900 (+14.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.