City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 7.8% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $107,800 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,569 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.0% moving from Buffalo, NY to Phoenix, AZ ($111,301 → $111,338), while prices change by +7.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.2% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,796 in Phoenix | $92,768 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$2,569/yr.
46 Fair offer
Phoenix, AZ → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$2,569/yr.
93 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Buffalo → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $64,564 | −7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $78,117 | −7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $93,629 | −7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $111,338 | −7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $131,568 | −7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $59,180 | $54,900 (−28.2%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $131,750 | $122,222 (−4.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $80,820 | $74,975 (−8.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $100,830 | $93,538 (−5.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.