City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs Savannah, GA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Savannah, GA are 9.2% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $109,200 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 $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Savannah, GA and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,953 a year higher in Savannah, GA than in Lafayette, LA.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Lafayette, LA to Savannah, GA changes real buying power by −8.4%, purely from prices.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much 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
| Lafayette, LA | Savannah, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 95.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,170 in Savannah | $91,600 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,533/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,613 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $4,567 (GA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $47,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Savannah, GA MSA. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and Savannah, GA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | Savannah |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 86.0 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 88.6 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 95.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → Savannah, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,953/yr.
43 Weak offer
Savannah, GA → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.2%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,953/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Lafayette, LA to Savannah, GA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | Savannah, GA | Real change, Lafayette → Savannah |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −8.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −8.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −8.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −8.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −8.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | Savannah, GA | Savannah pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $63,710 | $58,359 (+22.2%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $123,220 | $112,870 (+3.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $79,790 | $73,088 (+8.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $86,760 | $79,472 (−3.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.