City comparison
New York, NY vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 12.3% higher than in Port St. Lucie, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Port St. Lucie, FL would need about $112,300 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,467 in Port St. Lucie, FL. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 22% in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in New York, NY than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.6% moving from New York, NY to Port St. Lucie, FL ($125,431 → $113,356), while prices change by −11.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.5% in real buying power.
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
- 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
| New York, NY | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 112.6 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,042 in Port St. Lucie | $112,307 in New York |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,655/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 43% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,430 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New York | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.6 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 127.0 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 105.8 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 112.6 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New York, NY → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
100 Strong offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.0%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
11 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
New York, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from New York, NY to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New York, NY | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, New York → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $65,735 | +1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $79,533 | +1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $95,326 | +1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $113,356 | +1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $133,953 | +1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New York, NY | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in New York dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $96,900 | $53,610 | $60,208 (−37.9%) |
| Software Developers | $166,830 | $128,510 | $144,326 (−13.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $105,650 | $79,430 | $89,205 (−15.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $119,720 | $82,090 | $92,193 (−23.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.