City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX 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 20.7% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $120,700 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 $1,117 in Corpus Christi, TX. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 17% in Corpus Christi, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Corpus Christi, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.7% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to San Diego, CA ($106,955 → $121,585), while prices change by +20.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.8% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (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
| Corpus Christi, TX | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $120,736 in San Diego | $82,826 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.2%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | San Diego, CA | Real change, Corpus Christi → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $70,507 | −5.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $85,307 | −5.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $102,246 | −5.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $121,585 | −5.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $143,677 | −5.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $97,000 | $80,341 (+33.4%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $163,270 | $135,229 (+9.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $96,340 | $79,794 (+5.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $139,520 | $115,558 (+39.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.