City comparison
Ann Arbor, MI vs San Diego, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in San Diego, CA are 10.9% higher than in Ann Arbor, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Ann Arbor, MI would need about $110,900 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 $1,387 in Ann Arbor, MI. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 22% in Ann Arbor, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Ann Arbor, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.6% moving from Ann Arbor, MI to San Diego, CA ($117,402 → $121,585), while prices change by +10.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.6% in real buying power.
- Ann Arbor, MI: price level 100.9 (about average)
- 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
| Ann Arbor, MI | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,911 in San Diego | $90,162 in Ann Arbor |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,387/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,380 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Ann Arbor, MI MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Ann Arbor, MI and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Ann Arbor | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.3 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 98.2 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Ann Arbor, MI → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.8%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
16 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Ann Arbor, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Ann Arbor, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Ann Arbor, MI to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Ann Arbor, MI | San Diego, CA | Real change, Ann Arbor → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $70,507 | −6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $85,307 | −6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $102,246 | −6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $121,585 | −6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $143,677 | −6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Ann Arbor, MI | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Ann Arbor dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $105,010 | $132,120 | $119,123 (+13.4%) |
| Software Developers | $126,830 | $163,270 | $147,208 (+16.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $96,340 | $86,862 (+8.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,450 | $139,520 | $125,795 (+21.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.