City comparison
Houston, TX vs Myrtle Beach, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 5.3% higher than in Myrtle Beach, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Myrtle Beach, SC would need about $105,300 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,229 in Myrtle Beach, SC. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX 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 Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.3% moving from Houston, TX to Myrtle Beach, SC ($122,749 → $106,437), while prices change by −5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.7% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (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
| Houston, TX | Myrtle Beach, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,944 in Myrtle Beach | $105,326 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,229/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $37,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Myrtle Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 83.1 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 88.0 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Myrtle Beach, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
85 Strong offer
Myrtle Beach, SC → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Myrtle Beach, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Myrtle Beach, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Myrtle Beach, SC | Real change, Houston → Myrtle Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $61,722 | −8.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $74,678 | −8.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $89,508 | −8.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $106,437 | −8.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $125,776 | −8.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Myrtle Beach, SC | Myrtle Beach pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | not published | — |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $74,520 | $78,489 (−7.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $80,640 | $84,935 (−14.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.