Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Myrtle Beach, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Myrtle Beach, SC: $2,474 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
118

Cost of Living Index in Myrtle Beach, SC
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Myrtle Beach, SC Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Myrtle Beach, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,474

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Myrtle Beach, SC

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Myrtle Beach, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,474 in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Austin, TX $2,698
Myrtle Beach, SC $2,474

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,472 in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Austin, TX $4,160
Myrtle Beach, SC $3,472

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,471 in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Austin, TX $5,622
Myrtle Beach, SC $4,471

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 9% more expensive than in Myrtle Beach, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Myrtle Beach, SC 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$18.31 $18.31

12.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$73.6 $73.6

14.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.13 $11.13

8.45%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.14 $5.14

6.61%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.62 $2.62

45.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.27 $2.27

8.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.18 $6.18

30.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.80 $6.80

30.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.89 $0.89

24.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.24 $3.24

14.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.32 $3.32

1.51%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.94 $3.94

9.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$12.92 $12.92

1.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$10.89 $10.89

29.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.07 $15.07

8.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.19 $5.19

-12.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.29 $1.29

13.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.32 $4.32

9.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.62 $4.62

-10.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.70 $3.70

-30.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.86 $2.86

-17.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.80 $1.80

-1.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.23 $2.23

-4.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$7.48 $7.48

35.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$12.87 $12.87

18.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.85 $1.85

52.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.11 $2.11

63.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.01 $3.01

-6.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.90 $1.90

-15.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$30.24 $30.24

13.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.93 $0.93

1.08%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.0K $34.0K

$28.1K $28.1K

20.74%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.8K $26.8K

$23.9K $23.9K

11.78%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$223 $223

$158 $158

40.96%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$58.9 $58.9

$67.2 $67.2

-12.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$79.2 $79.2

-10.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$51.1 $51.1

13.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$15.07 $15.07

9.69%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$11.09 $11.09

28.58%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,511 $1,511

$1,453 $1,453

3.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$25.2K $25.2K

-17.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$51.2 $51.2

0.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$37.71 $37.71

17.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$83.1 $83.1

4.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$89.1 $89.1

17.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,488 $1,488

30.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,287 $1,287

2.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,418 $2,418

51.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,811 $1,811

41.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,443 $2,443

201.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,353 $2,353

32.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,625 $3,625

45.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.48

4.78%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Myrtle Beach, SC: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Myrtle Beach, SC

$1.3K 52% 2.2% $29

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Myrtle Beach, SC

$373 15.1% 8.1% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Myrtle Beach, SC

$304 12.3% 13.6% $48

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Myrtle Beach, SC

$306 12.4% 12.7% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Myrtle Beach, SC

$118 4.8% 8.9% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Myrtle Beach, SC

$73 3% 15.1% $13

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Myrtle Beach, SC

$13 * 0.5% 78.4% $45

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,488 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 46% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $74.0 in Myrtle Beach, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $373 per month, with Myrtle Beach, SC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Myrtle Beach, SC

🕒 Local time

05:19 5:19 AM

06:19 6:19 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

29,175

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Myrtle Beach, SC 1,820 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Myrtle Beach, SC

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs Myrtle Beach, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Myrtle Beach, SC wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Myrtle Beach, SC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 46% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,488 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,453 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Myrtle Beach, SC – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Myrtle Beach, SC is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Myrtle Beach, SC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.