City comparison
Boston, MA vs Pensacola, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 10.8% higher than in Pensacola, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Pensacola, FL would need about $110,800 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,257 in Pensacola, FL. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 19% in Pensacola, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,780 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Pensacola, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.7% moving from Boston, MA to Pensacola, FL ($120,548 → $106,437), while prices change by −9.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.2% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
- Pensacola, FL: price level 97.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Boston, MA | Pensacola, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 97.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,256 in Pensacola | $110,795 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,257/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $46,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL MSA. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Pensacola |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 98.8 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 97.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Pensacola, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,780/yr.
100 Strong offer
Pensacola, FL → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.7%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$4,780/yr.
16 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Pensacola, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Pensacola, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Pensacola, FL | Real change, Boston → Pensacola |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $61,722 | −2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $74,678 | −2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $89,508 | −2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $106,437 | −2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $125,776 | −2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Pensacola, FL | Pensacola pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $50,360 | $55,797 (−43.1%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $108,430 | $120,136 (−27.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $76,410 | $84,659 (−15.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $77,890 | $86,299 (−18.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.