City comparison
McAllen, TX vs Orlando, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Orlando, FL are 18.1% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $118,100 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 $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, FL and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in 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 McAllen, TX to Orlando, FL changes real buying power by −15.3%, purely from prices.
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (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
| McAllen, TX | Orlando, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 85.9 | 101.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,072 in Orlando | $84,694 in McAllen |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $847/mo | $1,731/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $35,830 | $46,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA. Metro areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | McAllen | Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 55.9 | 123.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 87.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 85.9 | 101.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
McAllen, TX → Orlando, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.3%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
36 Weak offer
Orlando, FL → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.1%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$0/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 McAllen, TX to Orlando, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | McAllen, TX | Orlando, FL | Real change, McAllen → Orlando |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −15.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −15.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −15.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −15.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −15.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | McAllen, TX | Orlando, FL | Orlando pay in McAllen dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,110 | $60,190 | $50,977 (−19.2%) |
| Software Developers | $116,120 | $129,620 | $109,780 (−5.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $64,470 | $78,630 | $66,595 (+3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,540 | $83,550 | $70,762 (−12.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.