City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Columbus, GA (89.3) and Tulsa, OK (89.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Columbus, GA goes as far as $99,900 in Tulsa, OK.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $987 a month in Tulsa, OK versus $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Tulsa, OK and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $613 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Tulsa, OK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Columbus, GA to Tulsa, OK ($112,556 → $106,437), while prices change by −0.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.3% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Columbus, GA | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,908 in Tulsa | $100,092 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $46,670 |
| 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 Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Tulsa, OK
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$613/yr.
69 Fair offer
Tulsa, OK → Columbus, GA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$613/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Tulsa, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Columbus → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $61,722 | −5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $74,678 | −5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,508 | −5.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,437 | −5.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $125,776 | −5.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $48,220 | $48,264 (−21.3%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $108,730 | $108,830 (−6.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $81,320 | $81,395 (+10.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $84,790 | $84,868 (+2.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.