City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Myrtle Beach, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 6.9% higher than in Myrtle Beach, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Myrtle Beach, SC would need about $106,900 in Atlanta, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,229 in Myrtle Beach, SC. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 20% in Myrtle Beach, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $276 a year higher in Myrtle Beach, SC than in Atlanta, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Atlanta, GA to Myrtle Beach, SC ($112,556 → $106,437), while prices change by −6.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.0% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- 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
| Atlanta, GA | Myrtle Beach, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,588 in Myrtle Beach | $106,852 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,229/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $37,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Myrtle Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 83.1 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 88.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Myrtle Beach, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$276/yr.
90 Strong offer
Myrtle Beach, SC → Atlanta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.4%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$276/yr.
46 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Myrtle Beach, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Myrtle Beach, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Myrtle Beach, SC | Real change, Atlanta → Myrtle Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $61,722 | +1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $74,678 | +1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,508 | +1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,437 | +1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $125,776 | +1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Myrtle Beach, SC | Myrtle Beach pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $131,490 | $73,490 | $78,525 (−40.3%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | not published | — |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $74,520 | $79,626 (−7.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $80,640 | $86,165 (−14.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.