City comparison
Buffalo, NY 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 6.8% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $106,800 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 $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Cape Coral, FL and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Cape Coral, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.4% moving from Buffalo, NY to Cape Coral, FL ($111,301 → $106,437), while prices change by +6.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.4% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (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
| Buffalo, NY | Cape Coral, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 102.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,787 in Cape Coral | $93,644 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,638/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $46,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Cape Coral |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 125.1 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 86.9 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 102.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Cape Coral, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
49 Fair offer
Cape Coral, FL → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Cape Coral, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Cape Coral, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Cape Coral, FL | Real change, Buffalo → Cape Coral |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $61,722 | −10.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $74,678 | −10.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $89,508 | −10.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $106,437 | −10.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $125,776 | −10.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Cape Coral, FL | Cape Coral pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $60,470 | $56,627 (−26.0%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $126,940 | $118,872 (−7.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $79,420 | $74,372 (−9.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $82,860 | $77,594 (−21.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.