City comparison
Miami, FL vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Miami, FL are 17.6% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $117,600 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 $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Miami, FL and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Reading, PA than in Miami, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.5% moving from Miami, FL to Reading, PA ($113,356 → $117,284), while prices change by −15.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +21.7% in real buying power.
- Miami, FL: price level 114.2 (much pricier)
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Miami, FL | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 114.2 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,025 in Reading | $117,613 in Miami |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,995/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 30% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,640 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Miami | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 155.6 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 103.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 97.2 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 109.1 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 114.2 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Miami, FL → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
Reading, PA → Miami, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.0%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
30 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Miami, FL is in the Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Miami, FL to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Miami, FL | Reading, PA | Real change, Miami → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,735 | $68,013 | +21.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $79,533 | $82,289 | +21.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $95,326 | $98,630 | +21.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $113,356 | $117,284 | +21.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,953 | $138,595 | +21.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Miami, FL | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Miami dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,300 | $79,860 | $93,926 (+61.1%) |
| Software Developers | $132,650 | $120,920 | $142,217 (+7.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,920 | $75,550 | $88,856 (+9.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $91,380 | $98,470 | $115,813 (+26.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.