City comparison
Chattanooga, TN vs Orlando, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Orlando, FL are 10.9% higher than in Chattanooga, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Chattanooga, TN would need about $110,900 in Orlando, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,731 a month in Orlando, FL versus $1,263 in Chattanooga, TN. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, FL and 19% in Chattanooga, TN.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TN 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 Chattanooga, TN to Orlando, FL changes real buying power by −9.8%, purely from prices.
- Chattanooga, TN: price level 91.5 (much cheaper)
- Orlando, FL: price level 101.4 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chattanooga, TN | Orlando, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.5 | 101.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,883 in Orlando | $90,185 in Chattanooga |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,263/mo | $1,731/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,700 | $46,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Chattanooga, TN-GA MSA and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA. Metro areas: Chattanooga, TN-GA and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chattanooga | Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.5 | 123.4 |
| Goods | 96.0 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 74.2 | 87.2 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 91.5 | 101.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chattanooga, TN → Orlando, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.8%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
36 Weak offer
Orlando, FL → Chattanooga, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.9%; rent takes 19% 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 Chattanooga, TN to Orlando, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chattanooga, TN | Orlando, FL | Real change, Chattanooga → Orlando |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −9.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −9.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −9.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −9.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −9.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chattanooga, TN | Orlando, FL | Orlando pay in Chattanooga dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,830 | $60,190 | $54,282 (−9.3%) |
| Software Developers | $106,750 | $129,620 | $116,898 (+9.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,680 | $78,630 | $70,913 (−7.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,770 | $83,550 | $75,350 (−5.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.