City comparison
Orlando, FL vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 7.0% higher than in Orlando, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Orlando, FL would need about $107,000 in Vallejo, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,731 a month in Orlando, FL and $1,705 in Vallejo, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Vallejo, CA than in Orlando, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Orlando, FL to Vallejo, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +7.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +16.9% in real buying power.
- Orlando, FL: price level 101.4 (about average)
- Vallejo, CA: price level 108.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Orlando, FL | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.4 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,962 in Vallejo | $93,491 in Orlando |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,731/mo | $1,705/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 | 26% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,630 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Orlando | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.4 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 87.2 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 101.4 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Orlando, FL → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.5%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
44 Weak offer
Vallejo, CA → Orlando, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.0%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
89 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Orlando, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Orlando, FL to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Orlando, FL | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Orlando → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +16.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +16.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +16.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +16.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +16.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Orlando, FL | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Orlando dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $129,440 | $137,160 | $128,232 (−0.9%) |
| Software Developers | $129,620 | $136,930 | $128,017 (−1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,630 | $95,800 | $89,564 (+13.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,550 | $203,290 | $190,058 (+127.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.