City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Columbus, GA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Buffalo, NY are 7.3% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $107,300 in Buffalo, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,139 a month in Buffalo, NY versus $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Buffalo, NY and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $293 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Columbus, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.1% moving from Buffalo, NY to Columbus, GA ($111,301 → $112,556), while prices change by −6.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.5% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- 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
| Buffalo, NY | Columbus, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 89.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,168 in Columbus | $107,333 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $939/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,613 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $4,567 (GA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $43,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Columbus, GA-AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 61.2 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 89.7 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 89.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$293/yr.
92 Strong offer
Columbus, GA → Buffalo, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$293/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Columbus, GA is in Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Columbus, GA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Columbus, GA | Real change, Buffalo → Columbus |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $65,271 | +8.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $78,972 | +8.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $94,654 | +8.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $112,556 | +8.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $133,007 | +8.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Columbus, GA | Columbus pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $61,360 | $65,859 (−13.9%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $116,150 | $124,667 (−2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $73,640 | $79,040 (−3.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $82,500 | $88,550 (−10.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.