City comparison
Montgomery, AL vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Port St. Lucie, FL are 11.8% higher than in Montgomery, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Montgomery, AL would need about $111,800 in Port St. Lucie, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,467 a month in Port St. Lucie, FL versus $870 in Montgomery, AL. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Port St. Lucie, FL and 14% in Montgomery, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Montgomery, AL than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.5% moving from Montgomery, AL to Port St. Lucie, FL ($106,437 → $113,356), while prices change by +11.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.7% in real buying power.
- Montgomery, AL: price level 89.7 (much cheaper)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Montgomery, AL | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.7 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,759 in Port St. Lucie | $89,478 in Montgomery |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $870/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,950 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Montgomery, AL MSA and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Montgomery, AL and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Montgomery | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 64.3 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 84.9 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 89.7 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Montgomery, AL → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
38 Weak offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Montgomery, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.8%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Montgomery, AL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Montgomery, AL to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Montgomery, AL | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Montgomery → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $65,735 | −4.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $79,533 | −4.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $95,326 | −4.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $113,356 | −4.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $133,953 | −4.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Montgomery, AL | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Montgomery dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,610 | $53,610 | $47,969 (−19.5%) |
| Software Developers | $110,620 | $128,510 | $114,988 (+3.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,040 | $79,430 | $71,072 (−5.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,570 | $82,090 | $73,452 (−7.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.