City comparison
Albany, NY vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 13.1% higher than in Albany, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Albany, NY would need about $113,100 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,417 in Albany, NY. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 23% in Albany, NY.
- Both are in NY, so estimated state income tax is the same: $4,860 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.2% moving from Albany, NY to New York, NY ($109,810 → $125,431), while prices change by +13.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.0% in real buying power.
- Albany, NY: price level 99.6 (about average)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albany, NY | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.6 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,054 in New York | $88,454 in Albany |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,417/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,460 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albany | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 102.6 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 134.0 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 99.6 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albany, NY → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.5%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → Albany, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albany, NY is in the Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Albany, NY to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albany, NY | New York, NY | Real change, Albany → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,678 | $72,737 | +1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,045 | $88,005 | +1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,344 | $105,481 | +1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,810 | $125,431 | +1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,763 | $148,222 | +1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albany, NY | New York, NY | New York pay in Albany dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,240 | $96,900 | $85,712 (+8.2%) |
| Software Developers | $127,910 | $166,830 | $147,567 (+15.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,660 | $105,650 | $93,451 (+10.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,970 | $119,720 | $105,897 (+5.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.