City comparison
Brownsville, 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 32.8% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $132,800 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 $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Miami, FL and 13% in Brownsville, 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 +6.5% moving from Brownsville, TX to Miami, FL ($106,437 → $113,356), while prices change by +32.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −19.8% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Brownsville, TX | Miami, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 114.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $132,777 in Miami | $75,314 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/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 | 13% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $48,640 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Miami |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 155.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 103.6 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 97.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 109.1 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 114.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Miami, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −24.7%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
30 Weak offer
Miami, FL → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +32.8%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Miami, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Miami, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Miami, FL | Real change, Brownsville → Miami |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $65,735 | −19.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $79,533 | −19.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $95,326 | −19.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $113,356 | −19.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $133,953 | −19.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Miami, FL | Miami pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $58,300 | $43,908 (−30.7%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $132,650 | $99,904 (−6.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $80,920 | $60,944 (−8.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $91,380 | $68,822 (−15.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.