City comparison
Naples, FL vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Naples, FL are 17.6% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $117,600 in Naples, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,797 a month in Naples, FL versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Naples, 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 Naples, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Naples, FL to Tuscaloosa, AL ($106,437 → $107,510), while prices change by −15.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +18.8% in real buying power.
- Naples, FL: price level 103.2 (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
| Naples, FL | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.2 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,002 in Tuscaloosa | $117,644 in Naples |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,797/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 | 27% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,800 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Naples-Marco Island, FL MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Naples-Marco Island, FL and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Naples | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.4 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 103.2 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Naples, FL → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Naples, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.0%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
34 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Naples, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Naples, FL to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Naples, FL | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Naples → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,344 | +18.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,431 | +18.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,410 | +18.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,510 | +18.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,044 | +18.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Naples, FL | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Naples dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,470 | $60,220 | $70,845 (+17.2%) |
| Software Developers | $130,730 | $104,870 | $123,374 (−5.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,570 | $71,690 | $84,339 (−0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $93,330 | $75,250 | $88,527 (−5.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.