City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Modesto, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Modesto, CA are 16.6% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $116,600 in Modesto, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,356 a month in Modesto, CA versus $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Modesto, CA and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $503 a year higher in Modesto, CA than in Columbus, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +18.2% moving from Columbus, GA to Modesto, CA ($112,556 → $133,060), while prices change by +16.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.4% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Columbus, GA | Modesto, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 104.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,588 in Modesto | $85,772 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,356/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $50,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Modesto, CA MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Modesto, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 108.5 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 152.3 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 104.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Modesto, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$503/yr.
38 Weak offer
Modesto, CA → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$503/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Modesto, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Modesto, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Modesto, CA | Real change, Columbus → Modesto |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $77,161 | +1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $93,358 | +1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $111,896 | +1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $133,060 | +1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $157,236 | +1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Modesto, CA | Modesto pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $101,640 | $87,179 (+42.1%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $119,770 | $102,730 (−11.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $83,560 | $71,671 (−2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $132,590 | $113,726 (+37.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.