City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Orlando, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Orlando, FL are 1.4% higher than in Atlanta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlanta, GA would need about $101,400 in Orlando, FL to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA and $1,731 in Orlando, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Orlando, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Atlanta, GA to Orlando, FL ($112,556 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.7% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- 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
| Atlanta, GA | Orlando, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 101.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,359 in Orlando | $98,659 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,731/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $46,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 123.4 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 87.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 101.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Orlando, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
63 Fair offer
Orlando, FL → Atlanta, GA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
70 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Orlando, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Orlando, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Orlando, FL | Real change, Atlanta → Orlando |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $61,722 | −6.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $74,678 | −6.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,508 | −6.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,437 | −6.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $125,776 | −6.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Orlando, FL | Orlando pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $60,190 | $59,383 (−22.4%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $129,620 | $127,882 (−3.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $78,630 | $77,576 (−9.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $83,550 | $82,430 (−18.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.