City comparison
Miami, FL vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Miami, FL are 7.2% higher than in Riverside, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Riverside, CA would need about $107,200 in Miami, FL to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,995 a month in Miami, FL versus $1,777 in Riverside, CA. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Miami, FL and 29% in Riverside, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Miami, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.5% moving from Miami, FL to Riverside, CA ($113,356 → $124,085), while prices change by −6.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +17.4% in real buying power.
- Miami, FL: price level 114.2 (much pricier)
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Miami, FL | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 114.2 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,243 in Riverside | $107,246 in Miami |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,995/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 30% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,640 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Miami | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 155.6 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 103.6 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 97.2 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 109.1 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 114.2 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Miami, FL → Riverside, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.2%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
86 Strong offer
Riverside, CA → Miami, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.8%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
40 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Miami, FL is in the Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Miami, FL to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Miami, FL | Riverside, CA | Real change, Miami → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,735 | $71,957 | +17.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $79,533 | $87,061 | +17.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $95,326 | $104,349 | +17.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $113,356 | $124,085 | +17.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,953 | $146,632 | +17.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Miami, FL | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Miami dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,300 | $98,520 | $105,659 (+81.2%) |
| Software Developers | $132,650 | $133,270 | $142,927 (+7.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,920 | $83,920 | $90,001 (+11.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $91,380 | $133,940 | $143,646 (+57.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.