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Moving cities: what pay and prices really mean
A bigger salary in another city does not always mean you are better off. Prices change the answer, and housing changes it most. Here is how to compare.
The short answer
- Compare salaries in the same terms: restate each in one place's prices. The paycheck calculator does this for any two metro areas or states.
- Housing is the biggest gap between places. Look at it separately from the overall price level.
- Prices only: taxes, commuting and your own spending are not included.
How a price level works
The Bureau of Economic Analysis publishes regional price parities: a place with a level of 110 has prices 10% above the US average of 100. To keep your buying power when you move, scale your salary by the ratio of the two levels. $100,000 in a place at 100 matches about $110,000 at a level of 110.
The most expensive metro areas
| Metro area | Price level | Housing level | Salary matching $100,000 at average US prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 115.6 | 194.7 | $115,500 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 114.2 | 155.6 | $114,000 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 113.6 | 170.4 | $113,500 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 112.6 | 148.6 | $112,500 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 111.9 | 179.3 | $112,000 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 111.1 | 151.3 | $111,000 |
The least expensive metro areas
| Metro area | Price level | Housing level | Salary matching $100,000 at average US prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield, MO | 88.6 | 65.6 | $88,500 |
| Wichita, KS | 88.9 | 66.2 | $89,000 |
| Jackson, MS | 89 | 64.8 | $89,000 |
| Tulsa, OK | 89.2 | 68.2 | $89,000 |
| El Paso, TX | 89.9 | 71.2 | $90,000 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 90.4 | 73.9 | $90,500 |
Price levels, 2024, US = 100. Among all 99 metro areas in our data. The last column is the salary that matches $100,000 at average US prices.
The ten largest metro areas
| Metro area | Price level | Housing level | Salary matching $100,000 at average US prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 112.6 | 148.6 | $112,500 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 113.6 | 170.4 | $113,500 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 103.6 | 112 | $103,500 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 103.1 | 117.9 | $103,000 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 98.6 | 104.5 | $98,500 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 108.9 | 151.1 | $109,000 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 102.6 | 113.1 | $102,500 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 100.1 | 111 | $100,000 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 114.2 | 155.6 | $114,000 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 108.3 | 148.4 | $108,500 |
Before you move
- Check housing first. Look at rent and home prices for the neighbourhoods you would actually use.
- Ask about location-based pay. Some remote employers set pay by where you live. Ask if a move changes your pay.
- Add the costs this page leaves out: state and local taxes, moving costs, commuting.
- Compare two places side by side: pick a pair in the calculator, and use the offer comparison if you have offers.
Source: Second Summit, October 2026, from the open postings on employers' own career pages. Methodology
Browse open jobs by role and city, with the pay employers list and who is hiring.