City comparison
Orlando, FL vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Orlando, FL are 1.1% higher than in Spokane, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Spokane, WA would need about $101,100 in Orlando, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,731 a month in Orlando, FL versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, FL and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in FL and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Orlando, FL to Spokane, WA ($106,437 → $106,991), while prices change by −1.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.6% in real buying power.
- Orlando, FL: price level 101.4 (about average)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Orlando, FL | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.4 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,943 in Spokane | $101,068 in Orlando |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,731/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,630 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Orlando | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.4 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 87.2 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 101.4 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Orlando, FL → Spokane, WA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
72 Strong offer
Spokane, WA → Orlando, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Orlando, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Orlando, FL to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Orlando, FL | Spokane, WA | Real change, Orlando → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,044 | +1.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,068 | +1.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,974 | +1.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,991 | +1.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,432 | +1.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Orlando, FL | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Orlando dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,190 | $98,800 | $99,855 (+65.9%) |
| Software Developers | $129,620 | $130,690 | $132,086 (+1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,630 | $86,350 | $87,272 (+11.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,550 | $111,750 | $112,944 (+35.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.