Microsoft location-based salary bands

Hey all- posting for a friend. Living in the NYC metro area. Recently got offered $118.4k base while another NYC-area intern got offered $128k base. We are both coming in L59 SWE. We noticed that the returning interns from Seattle also got offered $118.4k base and were confused. Doesn’t the NYC metro have a higher base pay than Seattle? The other intern thinks there may be an error in how my base salary was calculated in the automated system. Any thoughts? Worth going back to the recruiter and asking why? #software #swe #engineering #pay #salary #salarynegotiation #salarycomparison