City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs Orlando, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Orlando, FL are 16.3% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $116,300 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 $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, FL and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in Lafayette, LA than in Orlando, FL.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Lafayette, LA to Orlando, FL changes real buying power by −14.0%, purely from prices.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much 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
| Lafayette, LA | Orlando, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 101.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,293 in Orlando | $85,990 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,731/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $46,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 123.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 87.2 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 101.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → Orlando, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.0%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
36 Weak offer
Orlando, FL → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.3%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Lafayette, LA to Orlando, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | Orlando, FL | Real change, Lafayette → Orlando |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −14.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −14.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −14.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −14.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −14.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | Orlando, FL | Orlando pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $60,190 | $51,757 (+8.3%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $129,620 | $111,460 (+2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $78,630 | $67,614 (−0.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $83,550 | $71,844 (−12.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.