City comparison
Orlando, FL vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 9.6% higher than in Orlando, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Orlando, FL would need about $109,600 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,731 in Orlando, FL. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 26% in Orlando, FL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in FL and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.4% moving from Orlando, FL to Seattle, WA ($106,437 → $119,630), while prices change by +9.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.6% in real buying power.
- Orlando, FL: price level 101.4 (about average)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Orlando, FL | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.4 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,579 in Seattle | $91,258 in Orlando |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,731/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,630 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Orlando | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.4 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 87.2 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 101.4 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Orlando, FL → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.7%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
30 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Orlando, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.6%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Orlando, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Orlando, FL to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Orlando, FL | Seattle, WA | Real change, Orlando → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,373 | +2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,935 | +2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,602 | +2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $119,630 | +2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,367 | +2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Orlando, FL | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Orlando dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,190 | $102,920 | $93,923 (+56.0%) |
| Software Developers | $129,620 | $167,280 | $152,657 (+17.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,630 | $99,370 | $90,683 (+15.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,550 | $128,260 | $117,048 (+40.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.