City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Port St. Lucie, FL are 12.2% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $112,200 in Port St. Lucie, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,467 a month in Port St. Lucie, FL versus $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Port St. Lucie, FL and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Columbus, GA to Port St. Lucie, FL ($112,556 → $113,356), while prices change by +12.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.3% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Columbus, GA | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,242 in Port St. Lucie | $89,093 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
38 Weak offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Columbus → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $65,735 | −10.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $79,533 | −10.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $95,326 | −10.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $113,356 | −10.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $133,953 | −10.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $53,610 | $47,763 (−22.2%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $128,510 | $114,493 (−1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $79,430 | $70,766 (−3.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $82,090 | $73,136 (−11.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.