
Charleston vs Myrtle Beach
$638/mo less in Myrtle Beach
CharlestonMyrtle BeachAbout 86 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Myrtle Beach costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- 222 sunny days
Same paycheck, two cities. $1,649/mo in Myrtle Beach. $2,287/mo in Charleston. −$7,656 a year.
Charleston
$2,287
left each month
Myrtle Beach
$1,649
−$638 vs Charleston
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 291 households moved Charleston → Myrtle Beach (avg AGI $66,529). 408 went the other way. The whole move →
−$638 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Charleston | Myrtle Beach | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,750 | $6,381 | −$1,369 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,948 | $1,457 | −$491 |
| Take-home pay | $5,802 | $4,924 | −$878 |
| Rent | $1,588 | $1,319 | −$269 |
| Getting around | $535 | $564 | +$29 |
| Groceries | $384 | $384 | $0 |
| Healthcare | $432 | $432 | $0 |
| Utilities | $240 | $240 | $0 |
| Everything else | $336 | $336 | $0 |
| Left over | $2,287 | $1,649 | −$638 |
Salary to match Charleston
$88,500
Gross pay in Myrtle Beach that leaves the same amount as $93,000 in Charleston.
Tax difference
+$1,018
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 25.1% in Charleston, 22.8% in Myrtle Beach.
More about Myrtle Beach
Charleston, SC in full
State income tax topping out at 6.2%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,890 and 222 sunny days; commutes average 27 minutes.
Myrtle Beach, SC in full
State income tax topping out at 6.2%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,570 and 222 sunny days; commutes average 23 minutes.
The other way
Start in Myrtle Beach.
Myrtle Beach → Charleston →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Myrtle Beach than Charleston?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Myrtle Beach leaves about $638 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,588 in Charleston and $1,319 in Myrtle Beach.
Does Myrtle Beach have state income tax?
Myrtle Beach is in South Carolina, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Charleston to Myrtle Beach?
The paycheck is taxed in South Carolina. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Charleston and Myrtle Beach changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.