$100K in Flagstaff = $89,216 in Columbus

Your $100K salary in Flagstaff (COL 102) has the same purchasing power as $89,216 in Columbus (COL 91). Columbus is cheaper โ€” your money goes 11% further there.

$100K in Flagstaff, AZ
$6,113/mo take-home
Rent: $1,650/mo (27% of take-home)
Comfortable
$89,216/yr in Columbus, OH
$5,416/mo take-home
Rent: $1,250/mo (23% of take-home)
Comfortable

Budget breakdown โ€” $100K in both cities

What $100K actually buys you in each city after taxes and core expenses.

Expense
Flagstaff
$100K
Columbus
$100K (same salary)
Monthly take-home$6,113$6,071
1BR rent$1,650$1,250
Groceries$384$361
Transport$45$62
Utilities$195$155
Internet$65$60
Left after essentials$3,774/month$4,183/month
To match your Flagstaff purchasing power in Columbus, you'd need to earn $89,216/year (11% less than $100K). At that salary, you'd have $3,528/mo left after essentials โ€” vs $3,774/mo in Flagstaff.

Frequently asked questions

What is $100K in Flagstaff equivalent to in Columbus?

$100K in Flagstaff (COL index 102) has the same purchasing power as $89,216 in Columbus (COL index 91). That's 11% less than your current salary.

If I move from Flagstaff to Columbus keeping my $100K salary, will I be better off?

Yes. If you keep earning $100K after moving to Columbus, you'd have $409 more per month after core expenses โ€” because Columbus is cheaper than Flagstaff.

How is the salary equivalent calculated?

The equivalent salary is calculated by multiplying your current salary by the ratio of the two cities' overall cost of living indices: $100K ร— (91 รท 102) = $89,216. This adjusts for differences in housing, food, transport, and general cost of living.

Equivalency uses overall COL index ratio. Take-home uses simplified federal/state brackets. Zillow ยท BLS ยท Numbeo ยท Q1 2026 ยท For general guidance only