City comparison
Myrtle Beach, SC vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Myrtle Beach, SC are 5.0% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $105,000 in Myrtle Beach, SC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,229 a month in Myrtle Beach, SC versus $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Myrtle Beach, SC and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $888 a year higher in Myrtle Beach, SC than in Tulsa, OK.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Myrtle Beach, SC to Tulsa, OK changes real buying power by +5.0%, purely from prices.
- Myrtle Beach, SC: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Myrtle Beach, SC | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.6 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,271 in Tulsa | $104,963 in Myrtle Beach |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,229/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $37,930 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Myrtle Beach | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.1 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 88.0 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 93.6 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Myrtle Beach, SC → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$888/yr.
84 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → Myrtle Beach, SC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$888/yr.
54 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Myrtle Beach, SC to Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Myrtle Beach, SC | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Myrtle Beach → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Myrtle Beach, SC | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Myrtle Beach dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | not published | $48,220 | — |
| Software Developers | not published | $108,730 | — |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,520 | $81,320 | $85,356 (+14.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,640 | $84,790 | $88,998 (+10.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.