City comparison
Austin, TX vs Columbus, GA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 9.8% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $109,800 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.9% moving from Austin, TX to Columbus, GA ($109,428 → $112,556), while prices change by −8.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +13.0% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Columbus, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 89.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,057 in Columbus | $109,821 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $939/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,613 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,567 (GA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $43,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Columbus, GA-AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 61.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 89.7 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 89.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
99 Strong offer
Columbus, GA → Austin, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
41 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Columbus, GA is in Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Columbus, GA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Columbus, GA | Real change, Austin → Columbus |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $65,271 | +13.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $78,972 | +13.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $94,654 | +13.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $112,556 | +13.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $133,007 | +13.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Columbus, GA | Columbus pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $61,360 | $67,386 (+10.0%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $116,150 | $127,557 (−4.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $73,640 | $80,872 (−2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $82,500 | $90,603 (−7.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.