City comparison
Savannah, GA vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 1.8% higher than in Savannah, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Savannah, GA would need about $101,800 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,533 a month in Savannah, GA versus $1,081 in Tucson, AZ. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Savannah, GA and 17% in Tucson, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,276 a year higher in Savannah, GA than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from Savannah, GA to Tucson, AZ ($106,437 → $108,455), while prices change by +1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.1% in real buying power.
- Savannah, GA: price level 95.2 (cheaper)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Savannah, GA | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.2 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,775 in Tucson | $98,256 in Savannah |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,533/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,240 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Savannah, GA MSA and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Savannah, GA and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Savannah | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 95.2 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Savannah, GA → Tucson, AZ
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,276/yr.
63 Fair offer
Tucson, AZ → Savannah, GA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$2,276/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Savannah, GA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Savannah, GA to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Savannah, GA | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Savannah → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,893 | +0.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,095 | +0.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,205 | +0.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,455 | +0.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,162 | +0.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Savannah, GA | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Savannah dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,710 | $47,220 | $46,396 (−27.2%) |
| Software Developers | $123,220 | $123,710 | $121,552 (−1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,790 | $76,320 | $74,989 (−6.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,760 | $94,110 | $92,469 (+6.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.