City comparison
Columbus, 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 17.2% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $117,200 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 $1,194 in Columbus, OH. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 19% in Columbus, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Columbus, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.5% moving from Columbus, OH to San Diego, CA ($111,065 → $121,585), while prices change by +17.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.6% in real buying power.
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (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
| Columbus, OH | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,197 in San Diego | $85,326 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,194/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 | 19% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,340 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, OH and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.9 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, OH → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.7%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Columbus, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, OH is in the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, OH to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, OH | San Diego, CA | Real change, Columbus → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,406 | $70,507 | −6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,926 | $85,307 | −6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,400 | $102,246 | −6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,065 | $121,585 | −6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,245 | $143,677 | −6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, OH | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,150 | $97,000 | $82,766 (+5.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,340 | $163,270 | $139,312 (+13.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,700 | $96,340 | $82,203 (+0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,900 | $139,520 | $119,047 (+41.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.