Chicago vs Myrtle Beach
Chicago, IL · Myrtle Beach, SC
Myrtle Beach is 16% cheaper than Chicago overall.
Home Price
Chicago: $315,000
Myrtle: $295,000
Monthly Rent
Chicago: $2,288/mo
Myrtle: $1,350/mo
COL Index
Chicago: 114
Myrtle: 96
Median Income
Chicago: $70,100
Myrtle: $54,800
Side-by-Side Comparison
Median Home Price
Monthly Rent (Median)
Median Household Income
Property Tax Rate
Cost of Living Index
100 = national average
Avg. Commute
Unemployment Rate
Median Age
What This Means For You
Buying Power
A $100,000 salary in Chicago has the same purchasing power as $84,211 in Myrtle Beach — based on each city's cost of living index.
Housing
Homes in Myrtle Beach cost 6% more (-$20,000 extra). Expect a larger mortgage and down payment.
Renting
Renting in Myrtle Beach saves you $938/month — $11,256 per year. Median rent: $2,288/mo in Chicago vs $1,350/mo in Myrtle Beach.
Property Taxes
On a median-priced home, Chicago owners pay roughly $6,615/year in property taxes vs $1,711/year in Myrtle Beach. That's a $4,904 annual difference.
Local Earnings
Median household income is $70,100 in Chicago and $54,800 in Myrtle Beach. Myrtle Beach residents earn 22% more — but remember to factor in cost of living.
Daily Commute
Average commute is 31 minutes in Chicago vs 22 minutes in Myrtle Beach. Over a year, that's 4500 extra minutes (75 hours) of commuting in Chicago.
Salary Equivalence
To maintain the same lifestyle when moving from Chicago to Myrtle Beach, here's the salary you'd need:
| Salary in Chicago | Equivalent in Myrtle Beach | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $42,105 | -$7,895 |
| $75,000 | $63,158 | -$11,842 |
| $100,000 | $84,211 | -$15,789 |
| $150,000 | $126,316 | -$23,684 |
| $200,000 | $168,421 | -$31,579 |
* Calculated using cost of living indices (national average = 100). Does not account for state income tax differences.
Run the Numbers
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Cost of Living
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Property Tax Calculator
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Chicago vs Myrtle Beach: Common Questions
Is Chicago or Myrtle Beach cheaper to live in?
Based on cost of living indices, Myrtle Beach is cheaper overall. Chicago has a COL index of 114 while Myrtle Beach scores 96 (national average = 100).
How do home prices compare between Chicago and Myrtle Beach?
The median home price in Chicago is $315,000 vs $295,000 in Myrtle Beach — a difference of $20,000 (6%).
What salary do I need in Myrtle Beach to match my Chicago income?
Use the salary equivalence table above. For example, a $100K salary in Chicago is equivalent to $84,211 in Myrtle Beach in terms of purchasing power.
Which city has lower property taxes?
Myrtle Beach has a lower property tax rate (0.58% vs 2.1%). On a median-priced home, that means paying $1,711/year vs $6,615/year.
Cost of living data sourced from Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, and Zillow Research. Tax rates from Tax Foundation and state revenue agencies. Last updated: March 2025.