City comparison
Cincinnati, OH vs Myrtle Beach, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cincinnati, OH are 1.8% higher than in Myrtle Beach, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Myrtle Beach, SC would need about $101,800 in Cincinnati, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,229 a month in Myrtle Beach, SC versus $1,051 in Cincinnati, OH. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Myrtle Beach, SC and 16% in Cincinnati, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,875 a year higher in Myrtle Beach, SC than in Cincinnati, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.0% moving from Cincinnati, OH to Myrtle Beach, SC ($110,865 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.2% in real buying power.
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (cheaper)
- 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
| Cincinnati, OH | Myrtle Beach, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.4 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,188 in Myrtle Beach | $101,845 in Cincinnati |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,051/mo | $1,229/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,170 | $37,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cincinnati | Myrtle Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.6 | 83.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 91.0 | 88.0 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 95.4 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cincinnati, OH → Myrtle Beach, SC
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,875/yr.
75 Strong offer
Myrtle Beach, SC → Cincinnati, OH
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,875/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cincinnati, OH is in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN pay area; Myrtle Beach, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Cincinnati, OH to Myrtle Beach, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cincinnati, OH | Myrtle Beach, SC | Real change, Cincinnati → Myrtle Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,290 | $61,722 | −2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,785 | $74,678 | −2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,231 | $89,508 | −2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,865 | $106,437 | −2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,009 | $125,776 | −2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cincinnati, OH | Myrtle Beach, SC | Myrtle Beach pay in Cincinnati dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,740 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $121,420 | not published | — |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,640 | $74,520 | $75,895 (−5.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,650 | $80,640 | $82,128 (−1.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.