City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs San Diego, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Diego, CA are 6.1% higher than in Anchorage, AK. Someone earning $100,000 in Anchorage, AK would need about $106,100 in San Diego, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,459 a month in San Diego, CA versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Anchorage, AK to San Diego, CA ($120,348 → $121,585), while prices change by +6.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.8% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- San Diego, CA: price level 111.9 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,135 in San Diego | $94,220 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.8%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
28 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Anchorage, AK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | San Diego, CA | Real change, Anchorage → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $70,507 | −4.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $85,307 | −4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $102,246 | −4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $121,585 | −4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $143,677 | −4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $97,000 | $91,393 (+15.3%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $163,270 | $153,833 (+47.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $96,340 | $90,772 (+10.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $139,520 | $131,456 (+14.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.