City comparison
Columbus, GA vs San Luis Obispo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Luis Obispo, CA are 21.6% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $121,600 in San Luis Obispo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,914 a month in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $503 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in Columbus, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.2% moving from Columbus, GA to San Luis Obispo, CA ($112,556 → $124,085), while prices change by +21.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.3% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
- San Luis Obispo, CA: price level 108.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Columbus, GA | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $121,614 in San Luis Obispo | $82,228 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,914/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% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.8%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$503/yr.
29 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +21.6%; 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; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Columbus → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $71,957 | −9.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $87,061 | −9.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $104,349 | −9.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $124,085 | −9.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $146,632 | −9.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $97,620 | $80,271 (+30.8%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $135,020 | $111,024 (−4.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $88,160 | $72,492 (−1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $138,820 | $114,149 (+38.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.