City comparison
Durham, NC 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 Durham, NC are 4.2% higher than in Myrtle Beach, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Myrtle Beach, SC would need about $104,200 in Durham, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Durham, NC versus $1,229 in Myrtle Beach, SC. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Durham, NC and 20% in Myrtle Beach, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,362 a year higher in Myrtle Beach, SC than in Durham, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Durham, NC to Myrtle Beach, SC ($111,147 → $106,437), while prices change by −4.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.2% in real buying power.
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (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
| Durham, NC | Myrtle Beach, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.6 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,972 in Myrtle Beach | $104,197 in Durham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,507/mo | $1,229/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,720 | $37,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC and Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Durham | Myrtle Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.9 | 83.1 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 88.0 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 97.6 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Durham, NC → Myrtle Beach, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,362/yr.
82 Strong offer
Myrtle Beach, SC → Durham, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,362/yr.
56 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Durham, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Myrtle Beach, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Durham, NC to Myrtle Beach, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Durham, NC | Myrtle Beach, SC | Real change, Durham → Myrtle Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $61,722 | −0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $74,678 | −0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $89,508 | −0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $106,437 | −0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $125,776 | −0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Durham, NC | Myrtle Beach, SC | Myrtle Beach pay in Durham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $129,670 | $73,490 | $76,574 (−40.9%) |
| Software Developers | $135,620 | not published | — |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $74,520 | $77,647 (−8.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | not published | $80,640 | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.