City comparison
New Orleans, LA vs Tampa, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tampa, FL are 9.0% higher than in New Orleans, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in New Orleans, LA would need about $109,000 in Tampa, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,696 a month in Tampa, FL versus $1,113 in New Orleans, LA. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Tampa, FL and 17% in New Orleans, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in New Orleans, LA than in Tampa, 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 New Orleans, LA to Tampa, FL changes real buying power by −8.2%, purely from prices.
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (cheaper)
- Tampa, FL: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Orleans, LA | Tampa, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,956 in Tampa | $91,780 in New Orleans |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,696/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,290 | $48,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA. Metro areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Orleans | Tampa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 125.8 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 97.6 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Orleans, LA → Tampa, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.2%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
42 Weak offer
Tampa, FL → New Orleans, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
97 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 New Orleans, LA to Tampa, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Orleans, LA | Tampa, FL | Real change, New Orleans → Tampa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −8.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −8.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −8.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −8.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −8.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Orleans, LA | Tampa, FL | Tampa pay in New Orleans dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,350 | $60,120 | $55,178 (−8.6%) |
| Software Developers | $106,950 | $130,450 | $119,727 (+11.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,940 | $78,990 | $72,497 (−7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,850 | $85,470 | $78,444 (−4.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.