Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Myrtle Beach, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Myrtle Beach, SC: $2,474 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
118

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

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Myrtle Beach, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,474

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA 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 Seattle, WA and in Myrtle Beach, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,474 in Myrtle Beach, SC, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Myrtle Beach, SC $2,474

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,472 in Myrtle Beach, SC, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Myrtle Beach, SC $3,472

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,471 in Myrtle Beach, SC, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Myrtle Beach, SC $4,471

Seattle, WA costs about 53% more than Myrtle Beach, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Myrtle Beach, SC sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Myrtle Beach, SC by 83%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$18.31 $18.31

33.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$73.6 $73.6

33.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$11.13 $11.13

32.88%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.14 $5.14

26.85%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.62 $2.62

23.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.27 $2.27

39.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.18 $6.18

27.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.80 $6.80

18.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.89 $0.89

35.96%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.24 $3.24

58.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$3.32 $3.32

82.23%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.94 $3.94

23.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$12.92 $12.92

48.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.89 $10.89

73.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$15.07 $15.07

54.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.19 $5.19

15.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.29 $1.29

49.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.32 $4.32

21.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.62 $4.62

42.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.70 $3.70

-2.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.86 $2.86

15.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.80 $1.80

54.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.23 $2.23

12.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$7.48 $7.48

62.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$12.87 $12.87

15.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.85 $1.85

128.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.11 $2.11

173.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.01 $3.01

-11.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.90 $1.90

-9.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$30.24 $30.24

-1.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.93 $0.93

60.22%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$28.1K $28.1K

27.55%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$23.9K $23.9K

9.60%

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

$302 $302

$158 $158

91.10%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$67.2 $67.2

4.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$79.2 $79.2

7.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$51.1 $51.1

52.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$15.07 $15.07

129.46%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$11.09 $11.09

60.87%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,453 $1,453

104.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$25.2K $25.2K

24.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$51.2 $51.2

49.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$37.71 $37.71

43.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$83.1 $83.1

54.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$89.1 $89.1

84.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,488 $1,488

64.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,287 $1,287

51.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,418 $2,418

96.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$1,811 $1,811

91.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,443 $2,443

201.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,353 $2,353

117.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$3,625 $3,625

79.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.48

6.33%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: 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

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Myrtle Beach, SC

$1.3K 52% 33.9% $659

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Myrtle Beach, SC

$373 15.1% 31.7% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Myrtle Beach, SC

$304 12.3% 33.4% $153

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Myrtle Beach, SC

$306 12.4% 23.5% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Myrtle Beach, SC

$118 4.8% 38.2% $73

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Myrtle Beach, SC

$13 * 0.5% 90.3% $117

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Myrtle Beach, SC

$73 3% 35.5% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,488 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 79% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $74.0 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $373 – making Myrtle Beach, SC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Myrtle Beach, SC

🕒 Local time

00:37 12:37 AM

03:37 3:37 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

29,175

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Myrtle Beach, SC 3,920 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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

Seattle, WA vs Myrtle Beach, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,710 in Myrtle Beach, SC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Myrtle Beach, SC, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,474 in Myrtle Beach, SC. That's a gap of about 53%.

Kindergarten costs $2,973 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,453 in Myrtle Beach, SC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,474 in Myrtle Beach, SC. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Myrtle Beach, SC – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Myrtle Beach, SC. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.