City comparison
Asheville, NC vs Orlando, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Orlando, FL are 5.1% higher than in Asheville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Asheville, NC would need about $105,100 in Orlando, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,731 a month in Orlando, FL versus $1,429 in Asheville, NC. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, FL and 23% in Asheville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Asheville, NC than in Orlando, FL.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Asheville, NC to Orlando, FL changes real buying power by −4.8%, purely from prices.
- Asheville, NC: price level 96.5 (cheaper)
- Orlando, FL: price level 101.4 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Asheville, NC | Orlando, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.5 | 101.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,090 in Orlando | $95,157 in Asheville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,429/mo | $1,731/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,870 | $46,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Asheville, NC MSA and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA. Metro areas: Asheville, NC and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Asheville | Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.4 | 123.4 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 87.2 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 96.5 | 101.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Asheville, NC → Orlando, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
52 Fair offer
Orlando, FL → Asheville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Asheville, NC to Orlando, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Asheville, NC | Orlando, FL | Real change, Asheville → Orlando |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −4.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Asheville, NC | Orlando, FL | Orlando pay in Asheville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,080 | $60,190 | $57,275 (+14.4%) |
| Software Developers | $134,350 | $129,620 | $123,342 (−8.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,400 | $78,630 | $74,822 (−6.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,590 | $83,550 | $79,503 (−2.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.