The Salary Index

Salary Comparison

Web Developers: Columbia vs Abilene

Side-by-side salary, take-home pay, cost of living, and lifestyle score.

Columbia, MD

$103,119/yr

Take-home$6,273/mo
Disposable$2,940/mo
Lifestyle7/10 · Moderate

Abilene, TX

$77,433/yr

Take-home$4,711/mo
Disposable$2,784/mo
Lifestyle8/10 · Comfortable

Full Breakdown

Columbia

Abilene

Diff (A−B)

Annual Gross Salary

$103,119

$77,433

+$25,686

A vs B

Monthly Take-Home

After estimated federal + state taxes

$6,273

$4,711

+$1,562

A vs B

Cost of Living Index

Lower is more affordable. US avg = 100

124

72

+52 pts

A vs B

Monthly Living Costs

Housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare

$3,333

$1,927

+$1,406

A vs B

Monthly Rent

$2,050

$980

+$1,070

A vs B

Monthly Disposable

$2,940

$2,784

+$156

A vs B

Purchasing Power Score

Take-home ÷ living costs. Higher is better

1.88×

2.44×

-0.56×

A vs B

Lifestyle Score

7/10 (Moderate)

8/10 (Comfortable)

-1

A vs B

Salary estimates based on BLS metro data. Cost of living from regional price indices. All figures are estimates; verify with employers before making decisions.