Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

118

Cost of Living Index in Myrtle Beach, SC
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Myrtle Beach, SC Living Index
129

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

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Myrtle Beach, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,474

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Myrtle Beach, SC costs roughly 8% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.31 $18.31

$20.63 $20.63

-11.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 $73.6

$84.6 $84.6

-12.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.13 $11.13

$12.07 $12.07

-7.79%

Cappuccino

$5.14 $5.14

$5.48 $5.48

-6.20%

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

$2.62 $2.62

$3.80 $3.80

-31.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.47 $2.47

-8.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.18 $6.18

$8.05 $8.05

-23.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 $6.80

$8.88 $8.88

-23.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.11 $1.11

-19.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 $3.24

$3.72 $3.72

-12.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$3.37 $3.37

-1.48%

Eggs

$3.94 $3.94

$4.32 $4.32

-8.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.92 $12.92

$13.13 $13.13

-1.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.89 $10.89

$14.15 $14.15

-23.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 $15.07

$16.33 $16.33

-7.72%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.55 $4.55

14.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.46 $1.46

-11.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$4.71 $4.71

-8.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$4.15 $4.15

11.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$2.58 $2.58

43.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.35 $2.35

21.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.77 $1.77

1.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.14 $2.14

4.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.48 $7.48

$10.10 $10.10

-25.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 $12.87

$15.19 $15.19

-15.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.82 $2.82

-34.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$3.44 $3.44

-38.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.80 $2.80

7.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.60 $1.60

18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.24 $30.24

$34.34 $34.34

-11.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$0.94 $0.94

-1.06%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$34.0K $34.0K

-17.18%

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

$23.9K $23.9K

$26.8K $26.8K

-10.54%

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

$158 $158

$223 $223

-29.06%

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

$67.2 $67.2

$58.9 $58.9

14.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.2 $79.2

$70.6 $70.6

12.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 $51.1

$57.7 $57.7

-11.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.07 $15.07

$16.53 $16.53

-8.83%

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 $11.09

$14.26 $14.26

-22.23%

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

$1,453 $1,453

$1,511 $1,511

-3.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.2K $25.2K

$20.9K $20.9K

20.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 $51.2

$51.3 $51.3

-0.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.71 $37.71

$44.17 $44.17

-14.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 $83.1

$87.0 $87.0

-4.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.1 $89.1

$104 $104

-14.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 $1,488

$1,940 $1,940

-23.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 $1,287

$1,316 $1,316

-2.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,418 $2,418

$3,664 $3,664

-34.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,811 $1,811

$2,565 $2,565

-29.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,443 $2,443

$7,354 $7,354

-66.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,353 $2,353

$3,129 $3,129

-24.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,625 $3,625

$5,286 $5,286

-31.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.48

6.79

-4.57%

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

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Myrtle Beach, SC

$1.3K 52%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 2.2% $29

Groceries & Markets

Myrtle Beach, SC

$373 15.1%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 8.9% $33

Eating Out

Myrtle Beach, SC

$306 12.4%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 14.6% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Myrtle Beach, SC

$304 12.3%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 15.7% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Myrtle Beach, SC

$118 4.8%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 9.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Myrtle Beach, SC

$73 3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 17.7% $13

Getting Around

Myrtle Beach, SC

$13 * 0.5%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 363% $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 $1,488 in Myrtle Beach, SC and $1,940 in Austin, TX. 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: $74.0 in Myrtle Beach, SC vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $373 vs $406 per month, with Myrtle Beach, SC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Myrtle Beach, SC

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

03:37 3:37 AM

02:37 2:37 AM

1 h behind Myrtle Beach, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,175

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Myrtle Beach, SC
Austin, TX

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

Myrtle Beach, SC vs Austin, TX: 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.

On paper, salaries run 46% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

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

Childcare runs $1,453 in Myrtle Beach, SC versus $1,511 in Austin, TX. 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.