City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Orlando, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Orlando, FL are 8.0% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $108,000 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 $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, FL and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Cleveland, OH than in Orlando, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Cleveland, OH to Orlando, FL ($111,138 → $106,437), while prices change by +8.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.3% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (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
| Cleveland, OH | Orlando, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 101.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,980 in Orlando | $92,610 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $1,731/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $46,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 123.4 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 87.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 101.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Orlando, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.4%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
44 Weak offer
Orlando, FL → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
94 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Orlando, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Orlando, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Orlando, FL | Real change, Cleveland → Orlando |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $61,722 | −11.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $74,678 | −11.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,508 | −11.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,437 | −11.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $125,776 | −11.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Orlando, FL | Orlando pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $105,890 | $129,440 | $119,874 (+13.2%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $129,620 | $120,041 (+7.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $78,630 | $72,819 (−9.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $83,550 | $77,375 (−7.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.