City comparison
Columbus, GA vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in St. Louis, MO are 6.5% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $106,500 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $995 a month in St. Louis, MO versus $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in St. Louis, MO and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $805 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in St. Louis, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.0% moving from Columbus, GA to St. Louis, MO ($112,556 → $109,137), while prices change by +6.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.9% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Columbus, GA | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,486 in St. Louis | $93,909 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → St. Louis, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$805/yr.
50 Fair offer
St. Louis, MO → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$805/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Columbus → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $63,288 | −8.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $76,573 | −8.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $91,779 | −8.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $109,137 | −8.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $128,967 | −8.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $60,650 | $56,956 (−7.2%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $129,030 | $121,171 (+4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $78,880 | $74,075 (+0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $83,180 | $78,113 (−5.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.