City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ 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 3.5% higher than in Atlantic City, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ would need about $103,500 in Cape Coral, FL to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,638 a month in Cape Coral, FL versus $1,537 in Atlantic City, NJ. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Cape Coral, FL and 25% in Atlantic City, NJ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,180 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Cape Coral, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Cape Coral, FL ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by +3.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.3% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (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
| Atlantic City, NJ | Cape Coral, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 102.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,532 in Cape Coral | $96,588 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,638/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $46,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Cape Coral |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 125.1 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 86.9 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 102.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Cape Coral, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,180/yr.
58 Fair offer
Cape Coral, FL → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,180/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Cape Coral, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Cape Coral, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Cape Coral, FL | Real change, Atlantic City → Cape Coral |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | −12.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | −12.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | −12.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | −12.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | −12.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Cape Coral, FL | Cape Coral pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $60,470 | $58,407 (−27.4%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $126,940 | $122,609 (−3.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $79,420 | $76,710 (−7.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $82,860 | $80,033 (−19.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.