City comparison
Memphis, TN vs Orlando, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Orlando, FL are 10.0% higher than in Memphis, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Memphis, TN would need about $110,000 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 $1,154 in Memphis, TN. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, FL and 17% in Memphis, TN.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TN and $0 in FL.
- 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 Memphis, TN to Orlando, FL changes real buying power by −9.1%, purely from prices.
- Memphis, TN: price level 92.2 (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
| Memphis, TN | Orlando, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 101.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,023 in Orlando | $90,890 in Memphis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,154/mo | $1,731/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,890 | $46,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA. Metro areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Memphis | Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.8 | 123.4 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 74.1 | 87.2 |
| Other services | 95.4 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 101.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Memphis, TN → Orlando, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.1%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
Orlando, FL → Memphis, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 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 Memphis, TN to Orlando, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Memphis, TN | Orlando, FL | Real change, Memphis → Orlando |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −9.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −9.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −9.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −9.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −9.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Memphis, TN | Orlando, FL | Orlando pay in Memphis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,510 | $60,190 | $54,707 (−11.1%) |
| Software Developers | $125,580 | $129,620 | $117,812 (−6.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,960 | $78,630 | $71,467 (−7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,500 | $83,550 | $75,939 (−6.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.