Is Myrtle Beach cheaper than Punta Gorda?

Myrtle Beach is cheaper: its overall cost of living runs about 7% below Punta Gorda's (BEA Regional Price Parities).

Which has higher household income, Myrtle Beach or Punta Gorda?

Punta Gorda has the higher median household income — $72,868 versus $68,534 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 6% more.

Does a paycheck go further in Myrtle Beach or Punta Gorda?

It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($73,187 versus $72,487).

Which has cheaper rent, Myrtle Beach or Punta Gorda?

Myrtle Beach has cheaper rent — a median of $1,433/mo versus $1,843/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Myrtle Beach vs Punta Gorda

Metro-area medians — Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC Metro Area vs Punta Gorda, FL Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Punta Gorda comes out ahead, winning 4 of the 7 clearly-decided measures.

Myrtle Beach is about 7% cheaper to live in, while Punta Gorda households earn about 6% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches about as far in either.

Their widest everyday difference: Punta Gorda has the tighter job market — 3.3% unemployment versus 5.2%.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Annual salary (gross)

Household size

Myrtle Beach, SC

$58,400

take-home / yr · 22% to tax

$62,365

real value after local prices

Punta Gorda, FL

$61,314

take-home / yr · 18% to tax

$60,993

real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Myrtle Beach leaves you about $1,372/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure

Myrtle Beach

Punta Gorda

Livability (CityLedger)

37/100

47/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

93.6

100.5

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$73,187

$72,487

Median household income

$68,534

$72,868

Median rent

$1,433/mo

$1,843/mo

Median home value

$325,300

$355,300

Unemployment

5.2%

3.3%

Bachelor's degree or higher

27.6%

30.2%

Average commute

24.9 min

25.6 min

Air quality (median AQI)

—

Avg temperature

64°F

74°F

Choose Myrtle Beach for

+ Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
+ Median rent
+ Median home value

Full Myrtle Beach profile →

Choose Punta Gorda for

+ Livability (CityLedger)
+ Median household income
+ Unemployment
+ Bachelor's degree or higher

Full Punta Gorda profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Myrtle Beach and Punta Gorda on cost, income, size, and education.

Myrtle Beach vs Ocala→Myrtle Beach vs Prescott Valley→Myrtle Beach vs Atlantic City→Punta Gorda vs Prescott Valley→Punta Gorda vs Sebastian→Punta Gorda vs Hilton Head Island→

Myrtle Beach vs Punta Gorda — frequently asked

Is Myrtle Beach cheaper than Punta Gorda?: Myrtle Beach is cheaper: its overall cost of living runs about 7% below Punta Gorda's (BEA Regional Price Parities).
Which has higher household income, Myrtle Beach or Punta Gorda?: Punta Gorda has the higher median household income — $72,868 versus $68,534 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 6% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Myrtle Beach or Punta Gorda?: It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($73,187 versus $72,487).
Which has cheaper rent, Myrtle Beach or Punta Gorda?: Myrtle Beach has cheaper rent — a median of $1,433/mo versus $1,843/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).