City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Miami, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Miami, FL are 15.5% higher than in Atlantic City, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ would need about $115,500 in Miami, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,995 a month in Miami, FL versus $1,537 in Atlantic City, NJ. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Miami, 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 Miami, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.3% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Miami, FL ($117,284 → $113,356), while prices change by +15.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −16.3% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Miami, FL: price level 114.2 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Miami, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 114.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,475 in Miami | $86,599 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,995/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% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $48,640 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Miami |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 155.6 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 103.6 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 97.2 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 109.1 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 114.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Miami, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.4%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax −$4,180/yr.
30 Weak offer
Miami, FL → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,180/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Miami, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Miami, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Miami, FL | Real change, Atlantic City → Miami |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $65,735 | −16.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $79,533 | −16.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $95,326 | −16.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $113,356 | −16.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $133,953 | −16.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Miami, FL | Miami pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $58,300 | $50,487 (−37.3%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $132,650 | $114,873 (−9.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $80,920 | $70,076 (−15.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $91,380 | $79,134 (−20.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.