City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Orlando, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 12.0% higher than in Orlando, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Orlando, FL would need about $112,000 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,731 in Orlando, FL. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 26% in Orlando, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Orlando, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.2% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Orlando, FL ($124,085 → $106,437), while prices change by −10.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.9% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
- 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
| Los Angeles, CA | Orlando, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 101.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,303 in Orlando | $111,978 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $1,731/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $46,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 123.4 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 87.2 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 101.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Orlando, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.0%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
98 Strong offer
Orlando, FL → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.7%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
24 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Orlando, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Orlando, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Orlando, FL | Real change, Los Angeles → Orlando |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $61,722 | −3.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $74,678 | −3.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,508 | −3.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,437 | −3.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $125,776 | −3.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Orlando, FL | Orlando pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $60,190 | $67,400 (−33.8%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $129,620 | $145,146 (−9.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $78,630 | $88,048 (−6.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $83,550 | $93,558 (−31.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.