City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Tampa, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tampa, FL are 5.3% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $105,300 in Tampa, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,696 a month in Tampa, FL versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Tampa, 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 Tampa, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.4% moving from Buffalo, NY to Tampa, FL ($111,301 → $106,437), while prices change by +5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.2% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Tampa, FL: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Tampa, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,265 in Tampa | $94,999 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,696/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% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $48,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Tampa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 125.8 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 97.6 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Tampa, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
52 Fair offer
Tampa, FL → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Tampa, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Tampa, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Tampa, FL | Real change, Buffalo → Tampa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $61,722 | −9.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $74,678 | −9.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $89,508 | −9.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $106,437 | −9.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $125,776 | −9.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Tampa, FL | Tampa pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $60,120 | $57,113 (−25.3%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $130,450 | $123,926 (−3.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $78,990 | $75,039 (−8.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $85,470 | $81,195 (−18.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.