Overall
93.6
-6.4 below avg
2024 BEA RPP All 4 categories Federal source
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC
Cost-of-living indicators for Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC, compiled from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (2024 data year). Categories include All Items, Goods, Services, and Rents.
CBSA: 34820 · Data year: 2024 · Rank: #191 of 387
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC has a cost of living index of 93.6, meaning it's 6.4% less expensive than the national average. Goods cost 3.7% less, services 12.0% less, and rents are 16.9% below average. A $100K national salary has the purchasing power of $106,790 here.
What the Numbers Mean for Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach ranks #191 of 387 U.S. metro areas measured by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, placing it in the upper half by cost. With an overall Regional Price Parity of 93.6, Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC is 6.4% less expensive than the national baseline of 100. The gap between Myrtle Beach's most and least expensive categories — the priciest line item versus rents at 83.1 — is what drives the household budget experience on the ground, not the single headline number.
Translated into dollars, a nationally-benchmarked $100,000 salary carries the purchasing power of $106,790 inside Myrtle Beach, while a household needs roughly $93,642 here to match a $100K lifestyle elsewhere. Rents carry the biggest swing in the BEA formula and are indexed at 83.1 — 16.9% below the national average — so anyone weighing a move or a remote-work arbitrage should treat the housing line as the single largest variable in the equation.
Looking at the 2008-2024 trajectory, Myrtle Beach's overall index has stayed within 1.3 points, holding steady versus other U.S. metros. For the 2024 data year, goods are indexed at 96.3 and services at 88.0, meaning everyday spending in Myrtle Beach is governed more by the services and rent mix than by retail goods prices. Readers comparing multiple destinations should always pair the RPP headline with local wage data and housing costs before drawing relocation conclusions.
Myrtle Beach Cost Index at a Glance
Myrtle Beach all-items cost index
Regional Price Parity vs national average (100)
Myrtle Beach category breakdown
BEA RPP composition by goods, services, rents, overall
Price Index Summary
Goods
96.3
-3.7 below avg
Services
88.0
-12.0 below avg
Rents
83.1
-16.9 below avg
Price Index vs National Average (100)
Overall
National avg
Index 93.6 (-6.4 vs national avg)
Goods
National avg
Index 96.3 (-3.7 vs national avg)
Services
National avg
Index 88.0 (-12.0 vs national avg)
Rents
National avg
Index 83.1 (-16.9 vs national avg)
Vertical line on each bar = national average (100)
Cost Breakdown Analysis
Below National Average
Rents -16.9% (83.1)
Services -12.0% (88.0)
Overall -6.4% (93.6)
Goods -3.7% (96.3)
Income Adequacy in Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach income adequacy score
$75,000 median income vs RPP 93.6
Salary Equivalent
A $100,000 salary at the national average cost of living equals:
$93,642
in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC purchasing power
$50,000 nationally
$46,821
$75,000 nationally
$70,232
$125,000 nationally
$117,052
$150,000 nationally
$140,463
$200,000 nationally
$187,284
Use the salary calculator for custom amounts.
RPP History (2008-2024)
The cost of living has remained relatively stable, changing by only 1.3 points over this period.
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 95.0 |
| 2009 | 94.9 |
| 2010 | 94.0 |
| 2011 | 95.4 |
| 2012 | 96.7 |
| 2013 | 93.5 |
| 2014 | 95.5 |
| 2015 | 95.0 |
| 2016 | 96.2 |
| 2017 | 94.9 |
| 2018 | 91.7 |
| 2019 | 93.1 |
| 2020 | 92.0 |
| 2021 | 94.2 |
| 2022 | 94.0 |
| 2023 | 93.8 |
| 2024 | 93.6 |
Metros with Similar Cost of Living
These metros have an overall RPP closest to Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC's index of 93.6.
Other SC Metros
Related Data for Myrtle Beach
Salary Data
BLS occupation wages for Myrtle Beach area
Fair Market Rents
HUD rent data for Myrtle Beach metro
Crime Rates
FBI UCR crime data near Myrtle Beach
School Districts
NCES school data for Myrtle Beach area
ZIP Code Data
Census demographics for Myrtle Beach area
Life Score
Quality-of-life composite rating
Relocation Guide
7-dimension relocation intelligence
Cost of Living Guides
Cheapest Metros to Live in 2026
Official BEA data on the most affordable areas
Most Expensive Cities: 2026 Rankings
What drives high costs and how to cope
Salary Negotiation Using RPP Data
Calculate real purchasing power for negotiations
Comparing Metro Areas
Step-by-step BEA RPP comparison walkthrough
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC? ▼
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 93.6, meaning it is 6.4% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 96.3, services at 88.0, and rents at 83.1. It ranks #191 out of 387 U.S. metro areas by overall cost.
What salary do I need in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC to match $100K nationally? ▼
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $93,642 in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC. Conversely, $100K earned in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC has the purchasing power of $106,790 at the national average.
How expensive is rent in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC? ▼
Rents in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC are indexed at 83.1, which is 16.9% below the national average. This makes the area relatively affordable for renters.
Is Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC getting more expensive? ▼
From 2008 to 2024, Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC's overall cost index changed by -1.3 points (from 95.0 to 93.6). The cost of living has remained relatively stable.
What metros have a similar cost of living to Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC? ▼
Metros with the most similar overall cost index include Columbia, Roanoke, Janesville-Beloit. These areas have RPP values within a few points of Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC's 93.6.
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by Metropolitan Statistical Area (2024). Index where national average = 100.
Related
Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCost Editorial
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP) — cost-of-living indices by metro and state. bea.gov/data/regional-price-parities
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI) — inflation context by metro. bls.gov/cpi
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) — housing-cost component. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — wage component. bls.gov/oes
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS — household income + demographics. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
- IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) — tax-burden context. irs.gov/statistics
