City comparison
Miami, FL vs San Jose, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Miami, FL are 3.4% higher than in San Jose, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in San Jose, CA would need about $103,400 in Miami, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $1,995 in Miami, FL. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 30% in Miami, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Jose, CA than in Miami, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.4% moving from Miami, FL to San Jose, CA ($113,356 → $133,060), while prices change by −3.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +21.3% in real buying power.
- Miami, FL: price level 114.2 (much pricier)
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Miami, FL | San Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 114.2 | 110.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,731 in San Jose | $103,380 in Miami |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,995/mo | $2,982/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% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,640 | $84,050 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Miami | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 155.6 | 211.9 |
| Goods | 103.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 97.2 | 156.7 |
| Other services | 109.1 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 114.2 | 110.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Miami, FL → San Jose, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
44 Weak offer
San Jose, CA → Miami, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
51 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Miami, FL is in the Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL pay area; San Jose, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Miami, FL to San Jose, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Miami, FL | San Jose, CA | Real change, Miami → San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,735 | $77,161 | +21.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $79,533 | $93,358 | +21.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $95,326 | $111,896 | +21.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $113,356 | $133,060 | +21.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,953 | $157,236 | +21.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Miami, FL | San Jose, CA | San Jose pay in Miami dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,300 | $102,860 | $106,336 (+82.4%) |
| Software Developers | $132,650 | $213,110 | $220,313 (+66.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,920 | $121,700 | $125,813 (+55.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $91,380 | $216,740 | $224,065 (+145.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.