City comparison
Orlando, FL vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Orlando, FL (101.4) and Reno, NV (101.0, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Orlando, FL goes as far as $99,600 in Reno, NV.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,731 a month in Orlando, FL versus $1,489 in Reno, NV. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, FL and 23% in Reno, NV.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in FL and $0 in NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.4% moving from Orlando, FL to Reno, NV ($106,437 → $106,855), while prices change by −0.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.8% in real buying power.
- Orlando, FL: price level 101.4 (about average)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Orlando, FL | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.4 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,602 in Reno | $100,400 in Orlando |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,731/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,630 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Orlando | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.4 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 87.2 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 101.4 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Orlando, FL → Reno, NV
Roughly even
Buying power +0.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
70 Fair offer
Reno, NV → Orlando, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −0.4%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
66 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Orlando, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Orlando, FL to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Orlando, FL | Reno, NV | Real change, Orlando → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,965 | +0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,972 | +0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,859 | +0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,855 | +0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,271 | +0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Orlando, FL | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Orlando dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,190 | $62,430 | $62,680 (+4.1%) |
| Software Developers | $129,620 | $125,710 | $126,213 (−2.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,630 | $82,370 | $82,699 (+5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,550 | $107,520 | $107,950 (+29.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.