City comparison
Buffalo, NY 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 16.7% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $116,700 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 $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.2% moving from Buffalo, NY to San Diego, CA ($111,301 → $121,585), while prices change by +16.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.4% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- 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
| Buffalo, NY | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,739 in San Diego | $85,661 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.3%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | San Diego, CA | Real change, Buffalo → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $70,507 | −6.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $85,307 | −6.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $102,246 | −6.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $121,585 | −6.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $143,677 | −6.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $97,000 | $83,092 (+8.6%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $163,270 | $139,859 (+9.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $96,340 | $82,526 (+0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $139,520 | $119,515 (+20.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.