City comparison
Cincinnati, OH vs Orlando, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Orlando, FL are 6.3% higher than in Cincinnati, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cincinnati, OH would need about $106,300 in Orlando, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,731 a month in Orlando, FL versus $1,051 in Cincinnati, OH. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, FL and 16% in Cincinnati, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Cincinnati, OH than in Orlando, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.0% moving from Cincinnati, OH to Orlando, FL ($110,865 → $106,437), while prices change by +6.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.7% in real buying power.
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (cheaper)
- Orlando, FL: price level 101.4 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cincinnati, OH | Orlando, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.4 | 101.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,342 in Orlando | $94,037 in Cincinnati |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,051/mo | $1,731/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,170 | $46,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA. Metro areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cincinnati | Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.6 | 123.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 91.0 | 87.2 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 95.4 | 101.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cincinnati, OH → Orlando, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.0%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
48 Fair offer
Orlando, FL → Cincinnati, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cincinnati, OH is in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN pay area; Orlando, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Cincinnati, OH to Orlando, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cincinnati, OH | Orlando, FL | Real change, Cincinnati → Orlando |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,290 | $61,722 | −9.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,785 | $74,678 | −9.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,231 | $89,508 | −9.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,865 | $106,437 | −9.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,009 | $125,776 | −9.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cincinnati, OH | Orlando, FL | Orlando pay in Cincinnati dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,740 | $60,190 | $56,601 (−12.6%) |
| Software Developers | $121,420 | $129,620 | $121,890 (+0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,640 | $78,630 | $73,941 (−8.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,650 | $83,550 | $78,568 (−6.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.