City comparison
Miami, FL vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Miami, FL are 2.7% higher than in Seattle, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Seattle, WA would need about $102,700 in Miami, FL to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,995 in Miami, FL. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 30% in Miami, FL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in FL and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.5% moving from Miami, FL to Seattle, WA ($113,356 → $119,630), while prices change by −2.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.4% in real buying power.
- Miami, FL: price level 114.2 (much pricier)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Miami, FL | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 114.2 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,353 in Seattle | $102,719 in Miami |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,995/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 30% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,640 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Miami | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 155.6 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 103.6 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 97.2 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 109.1 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 114.2 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Miami, FL → Seattle, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
66 Fair offer
Seattle, WA → Miami, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Miami, FL is in the Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Miami, FL to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Miami, FL | Seattle, WA | Real change, Miami → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,735 | $69,373 | +8.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $79,533 | $83,935 | +8.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $95,326 | $100,602 | +8.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $113,356 | $119,630 | +8.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,953 | $141,367 | +8.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Miami, FL | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Miami dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,300 | $102,920 | $105,719 (+81.3%) |
| Software Developers | $132,650 | $167,280 | $171,829 (+29.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,920 | $99,370 | $102,072 (+26.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $91,380 | $128,260 | $131,748 (+44.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.