City comparison
Columbus, OH vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 21.1% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $121,100 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $1,194 in Columbus, OH. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 19% in Columbus, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Columbus, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +19.8% moving from Columbus, OH to San Francisco, CA ($111,065 → $133,060), while prices change by +21.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.1% in real buying power.
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (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 Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $121,100 in San Francisco | $82,576 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,194/mo | $2,977/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% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,340 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, OH and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.9 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, OH → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.4%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Columbus, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +21.1%; 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 Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, OH to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, OH | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Columbus → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,406 | $77,161 | −1.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,926 | $93,358 | −1.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,400 | $111,896 | −1.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,065 | $133,060 | −1.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,245 | $157,236 | −1.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, OH | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,150 | $101,860 | $84,112 (+7.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,340 | $186,640 | $154,121 (+26.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,700 | $110,730 | $91,437 (+11.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,900 | $186,610 | $154,096 (+83.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.