City comparison
Boston, MA vs San Luis Obispo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Boston, MA (108.3) and San Luis Obispo, CA (108.6, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Boston, MA goes as far as $100,300 in San Luis Obispo, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,914 in San Luis Obispo, CA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 31% in San Luis Obispo, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $290 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in Boston, MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.9% moving from Boston, MA to San Luis Obispo, CA ($120,548 → $124,085), while prices change by +0.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.6% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much 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
| Boston, MA | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,305 in San Luis Obispo | $99,696 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,914/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → San Luis Obispo, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.3%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$290/yr.
59 Fair offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Boston, MA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.3%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax −$290/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Boston → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $71,957 | +2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $87,061 | +2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $104,349 | +2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $124,085 | +2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $146,632 | +2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $97,620 | $97,323 (−0.8%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $135,020 | $134,610 (−19.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $88,160 | $87,892 (−12.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $138,820 | $138,398 (+30.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.