City comparison
McAllen, TX vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tulsa, OK are 3.9% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $103,900 in Tulsa, OK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $987 a month in Tulsa, OK versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Tulsa, OK and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,955 a year higher in Tulsa, OK than in McAllen, TX.
- 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 Tulsa, OK changes real buying power by −3.7%, purely from prices.
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (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
| McAllen, TX | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 85.9 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,864 in Tulsa | $96,280 in McAllen |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $847/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $35,830 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA and Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | McAllen | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 55.9 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 85.9 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
McAllen, TX → Tulsa, OK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,955/yr.
57 Fair offer
Tulsa, OK → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.9%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,955/yr.
81 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 Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | McAllen, TX | Tulsa, OK | Real change, McAllen → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | McAllen, TX | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in McAllen dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,110 | $48,220 | $46,426 (−26.4%) |
| Software Developers | $116,120 | $108,730 | $104,685 (−9.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $64,470 | $81,320 | $78,295 (+21.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,540 | $84,790 | $81,636 (+1.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.