City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Savannah, GA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Savannah, GA are 3.6% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $103,600 in Savannah, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,533 a month in Savannah, GA versus $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Savannah, GA and 18% in Augusta, GA.
- Both are in GA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $4,567 a year on $100,000.
- 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 Savannah, GA changes real buying power by −3.5%, purely from prices.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- Savannah, GA: price level 95.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Augusta, GA | Savannah, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 95.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,594 in Savannah | $96,531 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $1,533/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,613 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $4,567 (GA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $47,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Savannah, GA MSA. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Savannah, GA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Savannah |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 86.0 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 88.6 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 95.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Savannah, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
58 Fair offer
Savannah, GA → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
80 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 Savannah, GA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Savannah, GA | Real change, Augusta → Savannah |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Savannah, GA | Savannah pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $63,710 | $61,500 (−2.4%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $123,220 | $118,945 (−0.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $79,790 | $77,022 (+0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $86,760 | $83,750 (−4.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.