City comparison
Miami, FL vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Miami, FL are 30.1% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $130,100 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 $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Miami, FL and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Miami, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.2% moving from Miami, FL to Tuscaloosa, AL ($113,356 → $107,510), while prices change by −23.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +23.4% in real buying power.
- Miami, FL: price level 114.2 (much pricier)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Miami, FL | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 114.2 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $76,845 in Tuscaloosa | $130,133 in Miami |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,995/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 30% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,640 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Miami | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 155.6 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 103.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 97.2 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 109.1 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 114.2 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Miami, FL → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +30.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Miami, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −23.2%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
30 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Miami, FL is in the Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Miami, FL to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Miami, FL | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Miami → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,735 | $62,344 | +23.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $79,533 | $75,431 | +23.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $95,326 | $90,410 | +23.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $113,356 | $107,510 | +23.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,953 | $127,044 | +23.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Miami, FL | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Miami dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,300 | $60,220 | $78,366 (+34.4%) |
| Software Developers | $132,650 | $104,870 | $136,470 (+2.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,920 | $71,690 | $93,292 (+15.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $91,380 | $75,250 | $97,925 (+7.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.