City comparison
Albuquerque, NM vs San Luis Obispo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Luis Obispo, CA are 13.7% higher than in Albuquerque, NM. Someone earning $100,000 in Albuquerque, NM would need about $113,700 in San Luis Obispo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,914 a month in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $1,185 in Albuquerque, NM. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 19% in Albuquerque, NM.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,501 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in Albuquerque, NM.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.3% moving from Albuquerque, NM to San Luis Obispo, CA ($107,592 → $124,085), while prices change by +13.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.5% in real buying power.
- Albuquerque, NM: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- San Luis Obispo, CA: price level 108.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albuquerque, NM | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,658 in San Luis Obispo | $87,983 in Albuquerque |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,185/mo | $1,914/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,611 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,569 (NM) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,060 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Albuquerque, NM MSA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Albuquerque, NM and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albuquerque | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 89.2 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 77.9 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albuquerque, NM → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.0%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$1,501/yr.
29 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Albuquerque, NM
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,501/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albuquerque, NM is in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Albuquerque, NM to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albuquerque, NM | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Albuquerque → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,392 | $71,957 | +1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,489 | $87,061 | +1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,479 | $104,349 | +1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,592 | $124,085 | +1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,141 | $146,632 | +1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albuquerque, NM | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Albuquerque dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $75,520 | $97,620 | $85,889 (+13.7%) |
| Software Developers | $123,700 | $135,020 | $118,795 (−4.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,880 | $88,160 | $77,566 (−2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,040 | $138,820 | $122,138 (+27.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.