City comparison
Boulder, CO vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 9.9% higher than in Boulder, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Boulder, CO would need about $109,900 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $1,795 in Boulder, CO. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 29% in Boulder, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,379 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Boulder, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.1% moving from Boulder, CO to San Francisco, CA ($118,675 → $133,060), while prices change by +9.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.0% in real buying power.
- Boulder, CO: price level 105.2 (pricier)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Boulder, CO | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.2 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,896 in San Francisco | $90,995 in Boulder |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,795/mo | $2,977/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 29% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $69,580 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Boulder, CO MSA and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boulder, CO and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boulder | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 157.0 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 82.7 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 105.2 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boulder, CO → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.0%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$1,379/yr.
6 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Boulder, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.9%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax −$1,379/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boulder, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boulder, CO to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boulder, CO | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Boulder → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $77,161 | +2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $93,358 | +2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $111,896 | +2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $133,060 | +2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $157,236 | +2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boulder, CO | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Boulder dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,640 | $101,860 | $92,687 (+14.9%) |
| Software Developers | $164,560 | $186,640 | $169,833 (+3.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $99,990 | $110,730 | $100,759 (+0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,290 | $186,610 | $169,806 (+64.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.