City comparison
Columbus, OH vs Orlando, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Orlando, FL are 6.2% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $106,200 in Orlando, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,731 a month in Orlando, FL versus $1,194 in Columbus, OH. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, FL and 19% in Columbus, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Columbus, OH than in Orlando, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Columbus, OH to Orlando, FL ($111,065 → $106,437), while prices change by +6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.8% in real buying power.
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Orlando, FL: price level 101.4 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Columbus, OH | Orlando, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 101.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,231 in Orlando | $94,134 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,194/mo | $1,731/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,340 | $46,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, OH and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.9 | 123.4 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 87.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 101.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, OH → Orlando, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.9%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
49 Fair offer
Orlando, FL → Columbus, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, OH is in the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH pay area; Orlando, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, OH to Orlando, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, OH | Orlando, FL | Real change, Columbus → Orlando |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,406 | $61,722 | −9.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,926 | $74,678 | −9.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,400 | $89,508 | −9.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,065 | $106,437 | −9.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,245 | $125,776 | −9.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, OH | Orlando, FL | Orlando pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,150 | $60,190 | $56,659 (−27.5%) |
| Software Developers | $122,340 | $129,620 | $122,017 (−0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,700 | $78,630 | $74,018 (−9.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,900 | $83,550 | $78,649 (−6.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.