City comparison
Brownsville, TX 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 19.0% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $119,000 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 $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Cape Coral, FL and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in FL.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Brownsville, TX to Cape Coral, FL changes real buying power by −16.0%, purely from prices.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Brownsville, TX | Cape Coral, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 102.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $119,045 in Cape Coral | $84,002 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $1,638/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 | 13% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $46,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Cape Coral |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 125.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 86.9 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 102.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Cape Coral, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
Cape Coral, FL → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.0%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Cape Coral, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Cape Coral, FL | Real change, Brownsville → Cape Coral |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −16.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −16.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −16.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −16.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −16.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Cape Coral, FL | Cape Coral pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $60,470 | $50,796 (−19.8%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $126,940 | $106,632 (−0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $79,420 | $66,714 (+0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $82,860 | $69,604 (−14.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.