City comparison
Miami, FL vs New Haven, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Miami, FL are 9.2% higher than in New Haven, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in New Haven, CT would need about $109,200 in Miami, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,995 a month in Miami, FL versus $1,591 in New Haven, CT. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Miami, FL and 25% in New Haven, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Miami, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.7% moving from Miami, FL to New Haven, CT ($113,356 → $125,431), while prices change by −8.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +20.8% in real buying power.
- Miami, FL: price level 114.2 (much pricier)
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Miami, FL | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 114.2 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,594 in New Haven | $109,178 in Miami |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,995/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 30% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,640 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Miami | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 155.6 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 103.6 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 97.2 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 109.1 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 114.2 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Miami, FL → New Haven, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
97 Strong offer
New Haven, CT → Miami, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.4%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
35 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Miami, FL is in the Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Miami, FL to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Miami, FL | New Haven, CT | Real change, Miami → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,735 | $72,737 | +20.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $79,533 | $88,005 | +20.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $95,326 | $105,481 | +20.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $113,356 | $125,431 | +20.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,953 | $148,222 | +20.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Miami, FL | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Miami dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,300 | $79,820 | $87,146 (+49.5%) |
| Software Developers | $132,650 | $133,040 | $145,250 (+9.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,920 | $94,960 | $103,675 (+28.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $91,380 | $104,490 | $114,080 (+24.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.