City comparison
Columbus, GA vs El Paso, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Columbus, GA (89.3) and El Paso, TX (89.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Columbus, GA goes as far as $100,700 in El Paso, TX.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,013 a month in El Paso, TX versus $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in El Paso, TX and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in El Paso, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Columbus, GA to El Paso, TX ($112,556 → $106,437), while prices change by +0.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.1% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Columbus, GA | El Paso, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 89.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,690 in El Paso | $99,315 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,013/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $39,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and El Paso, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | El Paso |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 71.2 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 82.6 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 89.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → El Paso, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −0.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
67 Fair offer
El Paso, TX → Columbus, GA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
71 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; El Paso, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to El Paso, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | El Paso, TX | Real change, Columbus → El Paso |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $61,722 | −6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $74,678 | −6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,508 | −6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,437 | −6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $125,776 | −6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | El Paso, TX | El Paso pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $63,800 | $63,363 (+3.3%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $127,310 | $126,438 (+8.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $65,990 | $65,538 (−11.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $86,100 | $85,510 (+3.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.