City comparison
Myrtle Beach, SC vs Tampa, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tampa, FL are 7.7% higher than in Myrtle Beach, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Myrtle Beach, SC would need about $107,700 in Tampa, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,696 a month in Tampa, FL versus $1,229 in Myrtle Beach, SC. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Tampa, 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 Tampa, FL.
- 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 Myrtle Beach, SC to Tampa, FL changes real buying power by −7.2%, purely from prices.
- Myrtle Beach, SC: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
- Tampa, FL: price level 100.9 (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 | Tampa, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.6 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,740 in Tampa | $92,816 in Myrtle Beach |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,229/mo | $1,696/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% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $37,930 | $48,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA. Metro areas: Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Myrtle Beach | Tampa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.1 | 125.8 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 88.0 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 97.6 |
| Overall | 93.6 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Myrtle Beach, SC → Tampa, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.2%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
45 Fair offer
Tampa, FL → Myrtle Beach, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
93 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 Myrtle Beach, SC to Tampa, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Myrtle Beach, SC | Tampa, FL | Real change, Myrtle Beach → Tampa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Myrtle Beach, SC | Tampa, FL | Tampa pay in Myrtle Beach dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | not published | $60,120 | — |
| Software Developers | not published | $130,450 | — |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,520 | $78,990 | $73,315 (−1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,640 | $85,470 | $79,330 (−1.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.