City comparison
Orlando, FL vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 1.9% higher than in Orlando, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Orlando, FL would need about $101,900 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,731 a month in Orlando, FL versus $1,583 in Phoenix, AZ. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, FL and 25% in Phoenix, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,291 a year higher in Phoenix, AZ than in Orlando, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.6% moving from Orlando, FL to Phoenix, AZ ($106,437 → $111,338), while prices change by +1.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.7% in real buying power.
- Orlando, FL: price level 101.4 (about average)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Orlando, FL | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.4 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,871 in Phoenix | $98,163 in Orlando |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,731/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,630 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Orlando | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.4 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 87.2 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 101.4 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Orlando, FL → Phoenix, AZ
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$2,291/yr.
63 Fair offer
Phoenix, AZ → Orlando, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$2,291/yr.
73 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Orlando, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Orlando, FL to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Orlando, FL | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Orlando → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,564 | +2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $78,117 | +2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,629 | +2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,338 | +2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,568 | +2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Orlando, FL | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Orlando dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $129,440 | $130,360 | $127,965 (−1.1%) |
| Software Developers | $129,620 | $131,750 | $129,330 (−0.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,630 | $80,820 | $79,335 (+0.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,550 | $100,830 | $98,978 (+18.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.