City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reno, NV are 13.1% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $113,100 in Reno, NV to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,489 a month in Reno, NV versus $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Reno, NV and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Reno, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.1% moving from Columbus, GA to Reno, NV ($112,556 → $106,855), while prices change by +13.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −16.1% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Columbus, GA | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,123 in Reno | $88,400 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Reno, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
38 Weak offer
Reno, NV → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Reno, NV | Real change, Columbus → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $61,965 | −16.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $74,972 | −16.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,859 | −16.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,855 | −16.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $126,271 | −16.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $62,430 | $55,188 (−10.1%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $125,710 | $111,127 (−4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $82,370 | $72,815 (−1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $107,520 | $95,047 (+15.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.