City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 22.1% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $122,100 in Salinas, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,232 a month in Salinas, CA versus $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $503 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in Columbus, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +18.2% moving from Columbus, GA to Salinas, CA ($112,556 → $133,060), while prices change by +22.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.2% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Columbus, GA | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $122,113 in Salinas | $81,891 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $2,232/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.1%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$503/yr.
21 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +22.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$503/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Salinas, CA | Real change, Columbus → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $77,161 | −3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $93,358 | −3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $111,896 | −3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $133,060 | −3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $157,236 | −3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $100,220 | $82,072 (+33.8%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $135,160 | $110,684 (−4.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $83,810 | $68,633 (−6.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $134,910 | $110,480 (+33.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.