City comparison
Columbus, GA vs McAllen, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Columbus, GA are 4.0% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $104,000 in Columbus, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $939 a month in Columbus, GA versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in Columbus, GA and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in McAllen, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Columbus, GA to McAllen, TX ($112,556 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.7% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Columbus, GA | McAllen, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 85.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,191 in McAllen | $103,959 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $847/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% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $35,830 |
| 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 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | McAllen |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 55.9 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 85.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.0%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
81 Strong offer
McAllen, TX → Columbus, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; McAllen, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to McAllen, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | McAllen, TX | Real change, Columbus → McAllen |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $61,722 | −1.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $74,678 | −1.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,508 | −1.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,437 | −1.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $125,776 | −1.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | McAllen, TX | McAllen pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $63,110 | $65,609 (+6.9%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $116,120 | $120,718 (+3.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $64,470 | $67,023 (−9.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $80,540 | $83,729 (+1.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.