City comparison
Myrtle Beach, SC vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 18.5% higher than in Myrtle Beach, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Myrtle Beach, SC would need about $118,500 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,229 in Myrtle Beach, SC. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 20% in Myrtle Beach, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,227 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Myrtle Beach, SC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Myrtle Beach, SC to Urban Honolulu, HI ($106,437 → $111,119), while prices change by +18.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.9% in real buying power.
- Myrtle Beach, SC: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Myrtle Beach, SC | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.6 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,495 in Urban Honolulu | $84,392 in Myrtle Beach |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,229/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $37,930 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Myrtle Beach | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.1 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 88.0 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 93.6 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Myrtle Beach, SC → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.6%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,227/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Myrtle Beach, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,227/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Myrtle Beach, SC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Myrtle Beach, SC to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Myrtle Beach, SC | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Myrtle Beach → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,438 | −11.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,964 | −11.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,445 | −11.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,119 | −11.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,310 | −11.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Myrtle Beach, SC | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Myrtle Beach dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | not published | $73,080 | — |
| Software Developers | not published | $120,230 | — |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,520 | $74,990 | $63,285 (−15.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,640 | $139,260 | $117,524 (+45.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.