City comparison
Durham, NC 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 3.9% higher than in Durham, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Durham, NC would need about $103,900 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 $1,507 in Durham, NC. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, FL and 24% in Durham, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Durham, NC than in Orlando, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Durham, NC to Orlando, FL ($111,147 → $106,437), while prices change by +3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.9% in real buying power.
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (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
| Durham, NC | Orlando, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.6 | 101.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,942 in Orlando | $96,208 in Durham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,507/mo | $1,731/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,720 | $46,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA. Metro areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Durham | Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.9 | 123.4 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 87.2 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 97.6 | 101.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Durham, NC → Orlando, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.8%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
55 Fair offer
Orlando, FL → Durham, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
81 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Durham, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Orlando, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Durham, NC to Orlando, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Durham, NC | Orlando, FL | Real change, Durham → Orlando |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $61,722 | −7.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $74,678 | −7.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $89,508 | −7.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $106,437 | −7.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $125,776 | −7.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Durham, NC | Orlando, FL | Orlando pay in Durham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $129,670 | $129,440 | $124,531 (−4.0%) |
| Software Developers | $135,620 | $129,620 | $124,705 (−8.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $78,630 | $75,648 (−11.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | not published | $83,550 | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.