City comparison
Cleveland, OH 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 19.1% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $119,100 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 $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.4% moving from Cleveland, OH to San Diego, CA ($111,138 → $121,585), while prices change by +19.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.2% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (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
| Cleveland, OH | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $119,126 in San Diego | $83,945 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/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 | $50,140 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.1%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | San Diego, CA | Real change, Cleveland → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $70,507 | −8.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $85,307 | −8.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $102,246 | −8.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $121,585 | −8.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $143,677 | −8.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $97,000 | $81,426 (+6.5%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $163,270 | $137,056 (+23.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $96,340 | $80,872 (+1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $139,520 | $117,119 (+39.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.