City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Buffalo, NY are 7.4% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $107,400 in Buffalo, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,139 a month in Buffalo, NY versus $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Buffalo, NY and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $905 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Tulsa, OK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.4% moving from Buffalo, NY to Tulsa, OK ($111,301 → $106,437), while prices change by −6.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.7% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,083 in Tulsa | $107,432 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$905/yr.
92 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → Buffalo, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$905/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Tulsa, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Buffalo → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $61,722 | +2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $74,678 | +2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $89,508 | +2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $106,437 | +2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $125,776 | +2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $48,220 | $51,804 (−32.3%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $108,730 | $116,810 (−8.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $81,320 | $87,363 (+6.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $84,790 | $91,091 (−8.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.