City comparison
Savannah, GA vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Savannah, GA (95.2) and St. Louis, MO (95.1, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Savannah, GA goes as far as $99,900 in St. Louis, MO.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,533 a month in Savannah, GA versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Savannah, GA and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $805 a year higher in Savannah, GA than in St. Louis, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.5% moving from Savannah, GA to St. Louis, MO ($106,437 → $109,137), while prices change by −0.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.7% in real buying power.
- Savannah, GA: price level 95.2 (cheaper)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Savannah, GA | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.2 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,876 in St. Louis | $100,124 in Savannah |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,533/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,240 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Savannah, GA MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Savannah, GA and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Savannah | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 95.2 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Savannah, GA → St. Louis, MO
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$805/yr.
69 Fair offer
St. Louis, MO → Savannah, GA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$805/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Savannah, GA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Savannah, GA to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Savannah, GA | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Savannah → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,288 | +2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,573 | +2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,779 | +2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $109,137 | +2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,967 | +2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Savannah, GA | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Savannah dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,710 | $60,650 | $60,725 (−4.7%) |
| Software Developers | $123,220 | $129,030 | $129,190 (+4.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,790 | $78,880 | $78,978 (−1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,760 | $83,180 | $83,283 (−4.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.