Median rent is 10% lower in St. Petersburg ($1,663/mo vs $1,841/mo). Buying is cheaper in St. Petersburg, where the median home runs $371,100 versus $465,900. Households earn more in Plano ($112,253 vs $75,192 a year).
City A
Plano, TX
City B
St. Petersburg, FL
How much would you need to earn in St. Petersburg, FL to maintain your standard of living from Plano, TX?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Plano
Texas
St. Petersburg
Florida
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rent is modestly lower in St. Petersburg at $1,663/mo compared to $1,841/mo in Plano (10% gap). Median home values are within 20% of each other: $465,900 in Plano and $371,100 in St. Petersburg.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Plano
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
St. Petersburg
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Both cities have similar air quality: Plano averages 55.0 AQI (Moderate) and St. Petersburg averages 56.0 AQI (Moderate).
Pick Plano if you prioritize higher median household income ($112,253/yr).
Is Plano cheaper than St. Petersburg?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Plano vs St. Petersburg?
Median rent is $1,841/mo in Plano, TX and $1,663/mo in St. Petersburg, FL. St. Petersburg, FL has the lower rent by about 10%.
Which has higher salaries — Plano or St. Petersburg?
Median household income is $112,253 in Plano, TX and $75,192 in St. Petersburg, FL. Plano, TX has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Plano, TX has better air quality on average: 55.0 AQI versus 56.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Plano or St. Petersburg?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in St. Petersburg to match my Plano income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
