City comparison
Baltimore, MD 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 3.9% higher than in Baltimore, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Baltimore, MD would need about $103,900 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 $1,511 in Baltimore, MD. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 24% in Baltimore, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $684 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in Baltimore, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from Baltimore, MD to San Luis Obispo, CA ($121,785 → $124,085), while prices change by +3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.0% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- 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
| Baltimore, MD | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,933 in San Luis Obispo | $96,216 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $1,914/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.8%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$684/yr.
48 Fair offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Baltimore, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$684/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Baltimore → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $71,957 | −2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $87,061 | −2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $104,349 | −2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $124,085 | −2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $146,632 | −2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $97,620 | $93,926 (+22.9%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $135,020 | $129,911 (−6.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $88,160 | $84,824 (−0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $138,820 | $133,567 (+34.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.