City comparison
Memphis, TN vs Savannah, GA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Savannah, GA are 3.3% higher than in Memphis, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Memphis, TN would need about $103,300 in Savannah, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,533 a month in Savannah, GA versus $1,154 in Memphis, TN. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Savannah, GA and 17% in Memphis, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Savannah, GA than in Memphis, TN.
- 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 Memphis, TN to Savannah, GA changes real buying power by −3.2%, purely from prices.
- Memphis, TN: price level 92.2 (cheaper)
- Savannah, GA: price level 95.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Memphis, TN | Savannah, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 95.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,284 in Savannah | $96,821 in Memphis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,154/mo | $1,533/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,613 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $4,567 (GA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,890 | $47,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Savannah, GA MSA. Metro areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR and Savannah, GA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Memphis | Savannah |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.8 | 86.0 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 74.1 | 88.6 |
| Other services | 95.4 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 95.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Memphis, TN → Savannah, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
59 Fair offer
Savannah, GA → Memphis, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
79 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 Memphis, TN to Savannah, GA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Memphis, TN | Savannah, GA | Real change, Memphis → Savannah |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Memphis, TN | Savannah, GA | Savannah pay in Memphis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,510 | $63,710 | $61,684 (+0.3%) |
| Software Developers | $125,580 | $123,220 | $119,302 (−5.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,960 | $79,790 | $77,253 (+0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,500 | $86,760 | $84,002 (+3.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.