City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 8.5% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $108,500 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,081 a month in Tucson, AZ versus $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Tucson, 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 Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.6% moving from Columbus, GA to Tucson, AZ ($112,556 → $108,455), while prices change by +8.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.2% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Columbus, GA | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,511 in Tucson | $92,157 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,081/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% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Tucson, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,276/yr.
44 Weak offer
Tucson, AZ → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$2,276/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Columbus → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $62,893 | −11.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $76,095 | −11.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $91,205 | −11.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $108,455 | −11.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $128,162 | −11.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $47,220 | $43,516 (−29.1%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $123,710 | $114,007 (−1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $76,320 | $70,334 (−4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $94,110 | $86,729 (+5.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.