City comparison
Savannah, GA vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 5.4% higher than in Savannah, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Savannah, GA would need about $105,400 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,533 a month in Savannah, GA versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Savannah, GA and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Savannah, GA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Savannah, GA to Spokane, WA ($106,437 → $106,991), while prices change by +5.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.6% in real buying power.
- Savannah, GA: price level 95.2 (cheaper)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Savannah, GA | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.2 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,399 in Spokane | $94,878 in Savannah |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,533/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,240 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Savannah, GA MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Savannah, GA and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Savannah | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 95.2 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Savannah, GA → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
53 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Savannah, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Savannah, GA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Savannah, GA to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Savannah, GA | Spokane, WA | Real change, Savannah → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,044 | −4.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,068 | −4.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,974 | −4.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,991 | −4.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,432 | −4.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Savannah, GA | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Savannah dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,710 | $98,800 | $93,739 (+47.1%) |
| Software Developers | $123,220 | $130,690 | $123,996 (+0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,790 | $86,350 | $81,927 (+2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,760 | $111,750 | $106,026 (+22.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.