City comparison
Austin, TX vs Miami, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Miami, FL are 16.4% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $116,400 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 $1,562 in Austin, TX. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Miami, FL and 24% in Austin, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.6% moving from Austin, TX to Miami, FL ($109,428 → $113,356), while prices change by +16.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.0% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (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
| Austin, TX | Miami, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 114.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,406 in Miami | $85,906 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $48,640 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Miami |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 155.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 103.6 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 97.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 109.1 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 114.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Miami, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.1%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
30 Weak offer
Miami, FL → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Miami, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Miami, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Miami, FL | Real change, Austin → Miami |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $65,735 | −11.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $79,533 | −11.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $95,326 | −11.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $113,356 | −11.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $133,953 | −11.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Miami, FL | Miami pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $58,300 | $50,083 (−18.3%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $132,650 | $113,954 (−15.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $80,920 | $69,515 (−16.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $91,380 | $78,501 (−19.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.