City comparison
Albany, NY vs Cape Coral, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cape Coral, FL are 2.8% higher than in Albany, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Albany, NY would need about $102,800 in Cape Coral, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,638 a month in Cape Coral, FL versus $1,417 in Albany, NY. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Cape Coral, FL and 23% in Albany, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Albany, NY than in Cape Coral, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.1% moving from Albany, NY to Cape Coral, FL ($109,810 → $106,437), while prices change by +2.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.7% in real buying power.
- Albany, NY: price level 99.6 (about average)
- Cape Coral, FL: price level 102.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albany, NY | Cape Coral, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.6 | 102.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,795 in Cape Coral | $97,281 in Albany |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,417/mo | $1,638/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 | 23% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,460 | $46,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA and Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA. Metro areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY and Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albany | Cape Coral |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 102.6 | 125.1 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 134.0 | 86.9 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 99.6 | 102.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albany, NY → Cape Coral, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
60 Fair offer
Cape Coral, FL → Albany, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albany, NY is in the Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA pay area; Cape Coral, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Albany, NY to Cape Coral, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albany, NY | Cape Coral, FL | Real change, Albany → Cape Coral |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,678 | $61,722 | −5.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,045 | $74,678 | −5.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,344 | $89,508 | −5.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,810 | $106,437 | −5.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,763 | $125,776 | −5.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albany, NY | Cape Coral, FL | Cape Coral pay in Albany dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,240 | $60,470 | $58,826 (−25.8%) |
| Software Developers | $127,910 | $126,940 | $123,488 (−3.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,660 | $79,420 | $77,260 (−8.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,970 | $82,860 | $80,607 (−19.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.