City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX 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 24.8% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $124,800 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 $1,117 in Corpus Christi, TX. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 17% in Corpus Christi, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Corpus Christi, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +24.4% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to San Francisco, CA ($106,955 → $133,060), while prices change by +24.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.3% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (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
| Corpus Christi, TX | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $124,756 in San Francisco | $80,156 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $2,977/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% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.8%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +24.8%; 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 Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Corpus Christi → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $77,161 | −0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $93,358 | −0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $111,896 | −0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $133,060 | −0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $157,236 | −0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $101,860 | $81,647 (+35.6%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $186,640 | $149,604 (+21.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $110,730 | $88,757 (+17.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $186,610 | $149,580 (+80.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.