City comparison
Cincinnati, OH 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 17.3% higher than in Cincinnati, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cincinnati, OH would need about $117,300 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 $1,051 in Cincinnati, OH. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 16% in Cincinnati, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Cincinnati, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.7% moving from Cincinnati, OH to San Diego, CA ($110,865 → $121,585), while prices change by +17.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.5% in real buying power.
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (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
| Cincinnati, OH | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.4 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,319 in San Diego | $85,238 in Cincinnati |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,051/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,170 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cincinnati | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.6 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 91.0 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 95.4 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cincinnati, OH → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.8%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Cincinnati, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Cincinnati, OH is in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Cincinnati, OH to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cincinnati, OH | San Diego, CA | Real change, Cincinnati → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,290 | $70,507 | −6.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,785 | $85,307 | −6.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,231 | $102,246 | −6.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,865 | $121,585 | −6.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,009 | $143,677 | −6.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cincinnati, OH | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Cincinnati dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $114,300 | $132,120 | $112,616 (−1.5%) |
| Software Developers | $121,420 | $163,270 | $139,168 (+14.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,640 | $96,340 | $82,118 (+1.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,650 | $139,520 | $118,924 (+42.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.