City comparison
Myrtle Beach, SC vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 3.5% higher than in Myrtle Beach, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Myrtle Beach, SC would need about $103,500 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,229 a month in Myrtle Beach, SC versus $1,081 in Tucson, AZ. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Myrtle Beach, SC and 17% in Tucson, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,552 a year higher in Myrtle Beach, SC than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from Myrtle Beach, SC to Tucson, AZ ($106,437 → $108,455), while prices change by +3.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.5% in real buying power.
- Myrtle Beach, SC: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Myrtle Beach, SC | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.6 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,475 in Tucson | $96,642 in Myrtle Beach |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,229/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $37,930 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Myrtle Beach | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.1 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 88.0 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 93.6 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Myrtle Beach, SC → Tucson, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,552/yr.
58 Fair offer
Tucson, AZ → Myrtle Beach, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,552/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Myrtle Beach, SC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Myrtle Beach, SC to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Myrtle Beach, SC | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Myrtle Beach → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,893 | −1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,095 | −1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,205 | −1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,455 | −1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,162 | −1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Myrtle Beach, SC | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Myrtle Beach dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | not published | $47,220 | — |
| Software Developers | not published | $123,710 | — |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,520 | $76,320 | $73,757 (−1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,640 | $94,110 | $90,950 (+12.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.