City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Cape Coral, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cape Coral, FL are 11.4% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $111,400 in Cape Coral, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,638 a month in Cape Coral, FL versus $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Cape Coral, FL and 18% in Augusta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Augusta, GA than in Cape Coral, 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 Augusta, GA to Cape Coral, FL changes real buying power by −10.2%, purely from prices.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- Cape Coral, FL: price level 102.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Augusta, GA | Cape Coral, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 102.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,366 in Cape Coral | $89,794 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $1,638/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 | 18% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $46,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Cape Coral |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 125.1 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 86.9 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 102.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Cape Coral, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
38 Weak offer
Cape Coral, FL → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
100 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 Augusta, GA to Cape Coral, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Cape Coral, FL | Real change, Augusta → Cape Coral |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −10.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −10.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −10.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −10.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −10.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Cape Coral, FL | Cape Coral pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $60,470 | $54,298 (−13.8%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $126,940 | $113,984 (−4.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $79,420 | $71,314 (−7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $82,860 | $74,403 (−15.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.