City comparison
Merced, CA vs Miami, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Miami, FL are 16.2% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $116,200 in Miami, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,995 a month in Miami, FL versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Miami, FL and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Miami, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.8% moving from Merced, CA to Miami, FL ($133,060 → $113,356), while prices change by +16.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −26.7% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Miami, FL: price level 114.2 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Miami, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 114.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,159 in Miami | $86,089 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $48,640 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Miami |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 155.6 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 103.6 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 97.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 109.1 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 114.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Miami, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.9%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
30 Weak offer
Miami, FL → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Miami, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Miami, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Miami, FL | Real change, Merced → Miami |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $65,735 | −26.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $79,533 | −26.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $95,326 | −26.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $113,356 | −26.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $133,953 | −26.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Miami, FL | Miami pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $58,300 | $50,190 (−49.9%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $132,650 | $114,197 (−13.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $80,920 | $69,663 (−13.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $91,380 | $78,668 (−40.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.