City comparison
Myrtle Beach, SC vs Pittsburgh, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Pittsburgh, PA are 1.1% higher than in Myrtle Beach, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Myrtle Beach, SC would need about $101,100 in Pittsburgh, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,229 a month in Myrtle Beach, SC versus $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Myrtle Beach, SC and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,773 a year higher in Myrtle Beach, SC than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.4% moving from Myrtle Beach, SC to Pittsburgh, PA ($106,437 → $110,047), while prices change by +1.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.3% in real buying power.
- Myrtle Beach, SC: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Myrtle Beach, SC | Pittsburgh, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.6 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,099 in Pittsburgh | $98,913 in Myrtle Beach |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,229/mo | $1,077/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $37,930 | $49,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV |
Rent areas: Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC and Pittsburgh, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Myrtle Beach | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.1 | 72.0 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 88.0 | 107.7 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 93.6 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Myrtle Beach, SC → Pittsburgh, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,773/yr.
65 Fair offer
Pittsburgh, PA → Myrtle Beach, SC
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,773/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Myrtle Beach, SC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Pittsburgh, PA is in Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV. The last column shows what a transfer from Myrtle Beach, SC to Pittsburgh, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Myrtle Beach, SC | Pittsburgh, PA | Real change, Myrtle Beach → Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,815 | +2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,211 | +2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $92,543 | +2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $110,047 | +2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $130,042 | +2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Myrtle Beach, SC | Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh pay in Myrtle Beach dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | not published | $76,550 | — |
| Software Developers | not published | $124,500 | — |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,520 | $76,940 | $76,104 (+2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,640 | $82,370 | $81,475 (+1.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.