City comparison
Nashville, TN vs Orlando, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Orlando, FL are 5.3% higher than in Nashville, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Nashville, TN would need about $105,300 in Orlando, FL to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,731 a month in Orlando, FL versus $1,578 in Nashville, TN. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, FL and 24% in Nashville, TN.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TN and $0 in FL.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Nashville, TN to Orlando, FL changes real buying power by −5.0%, purely from prices.
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (cheaper)
- Orlando, FL: price level 101.4 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Nashville, TN | Orlando, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.3 | 101.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,273 in Orlando | $94,991 in Nashville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,578/mo | $1,731/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,390 | $46,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA. Metro areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Nashville | Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.6 | 123.4 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 72.0 | 87.2 |
| Other services | 95.1 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 96.3 | 101.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Nashville, TN → Orlando, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
51 Fair offer
Orlando, FL → Nashville, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Nashville, TN to Orlando, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Nashville, TN | Orlando, FL | Real change, Nashville → Orlando |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Nashville, TN | Orlando, FL | Orlando pay in Nashville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,460 | $60,190 | $57,175 (−7.0%) |
| Software Developers | $126,610 | $129,620 | $123,127 (−2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,080 | $78,630 | $74,691 (−4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,040 | $83,550 | $79,365 (−5.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.