City comparison
Phoenix, AZ vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 3.1% higher than in Port St. Lucie, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Port St. Lucie, FL would need about $103,100 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,467 in Port St. Lucie, FL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 22% in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,291 a year higher in Phoenix, AZ than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.8% moving from Phoenix, AZ to Port St. Lucie, FL ($111,338 → $113,356), while prices change by −3.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.9% in real buying power.
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Phoenix, AZ | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.3 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,011 in Port St. Lucie | $103,081 in Phoenix |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,583/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,889 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,291 (AZ) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,380 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Phoenix | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 121.2 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 95.0 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 93.3 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 104.0 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 103.3 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Phoenix, AZ → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$2,291/yr.
78 Strong offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$2,291/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Phoenix, AZ is in the Phoenix-Mesa, AZ pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Phoenix, AZ to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Phoenix, AZ | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Phoenix → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,564 | $65,735 | +5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,117 | $79,533 | +4.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,629 | $95,326 | +4.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,338 | $113,356 | +4.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,568 | $133,953 | +4.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Phoenix, AZ | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Phoenix dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,180 | $53,610 | $55,262 (−6.6%) |
| Software Developers | $131,750 | $128,510 | $132,469 (+0.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,820 | $79,430 | $81,877 (+1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,830 | $82,090 | $84,619 (−16.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.