City comparison
Savannah, GA vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 16.7% higher than in Savannah, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Savannah, GA would need about $116,700 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,533 in Savannah, GA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 25% in Savannah, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Savannah, GA than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.4% moving from Savannah, GA to Seattle, WA ($106,437 → $119,630), while prices change by +16.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.7% in real buying power.
- Savannah, GA: price level 95.2 (cheaper)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Savannah, GA | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.2 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,729 in Seattle | $85,669 in Savannah |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,533/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,240 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Savannah, GA MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Savannah, GA and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Savannah | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 95.2 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Savannah, GA → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.3%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Savannah, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Savannah, GA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Savannah, GA to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Savannah, GA | Seattle, WA | Real change, Savannah → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,373 | −3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,935 | −3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,602 | −3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $119,630 | −3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,367 | −3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Savannah, GA | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Savannah dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $102,630 | $161,780 | $138,595 (+35.0%) |
| Software Developers | $123,220 | $167,280 | $143,306 (+16.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,790 | $99,370 | $85,129 (+6.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,760 | $128,260 | $109,878 (+26.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.