City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Savannah, GA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Savannah, GA are 1.4% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $101,400 in Savannah, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,533 a month in Savannah, GA versus $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Savannah, GA and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,600 a year higher in Savannah, GA than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Cleveland, OH to Savannah, GA ($111,138 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.5% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- Savannah, GA: price level 95.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cleveland, OH | Savannah, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 95.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,366 in Savannah | $98,652 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $1,533/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,613 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,567 (GA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $47,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Savannah, GA MSA. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Savannah, GA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Savannah |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 86.0 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 88.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 95.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Savannah, GA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$2,600/yr.
65 Fair offer
Savannah, GA → Cleveland, OH
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,600/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Savannah, GA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Savannah, GA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Savannah, GA | Real change, Cleveland → Savannah |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $61,722 | −5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $74,678 | −5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,508 | −5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,437 | −5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $125,776 | −5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Savannah, GA | Savannah pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $63,710 | $62,851 (−17.8%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $123,220 | $121,559 (+9.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $79,790 | $78,715 (−1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $86,760 | $85,591 (+2.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.