City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 15.7% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $115,700 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 $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,276 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.1% moving from Columbus, GA to Phoenix, AZ ($112,556 → $111,338), while prices change by +15.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.5% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much 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
| Columbus, GA | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,701 in Phoenix | $86,430 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$2,276/yr.
38 Weak offer
Phoenix, AZ → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$2,276/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Columbus → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $64,564 | −14.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $78,117 | −14.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $93,629 | −14.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $111,338 | −14.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $131,568 | −14.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $59,180 | $51,149 (−16.6%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $131,750 | $113,872 (−2.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $80,820 | $69,853 (−5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $100,830 | $87,147 (+5.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.