City comparison
Crestview, FL vs San Diego, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in San Diego, CA are 15.3% higher than in Crestview, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Crestview, FL would need about $115,300 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 $1,581 in Crestview, FL. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 24% in Crestview, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Crestview, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.2% moving from Crestview, FL to San Diego, CA ($106,437 → $121,585), while prices change by +15.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.9% in real buying power.
- Crestview, FL: price level 97.0 (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
| Crestview, FL | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.0 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,311 in San Diego | $86,722 in Crestview |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,510 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Crestview | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.9 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 97.0 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Crestview, FL → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.3%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Crestview, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Crestview, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Crestview, FL to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Crestview, FL | San Diego, CA | Real change, Crestview → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $70,507 | −0.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $85,307 | −0.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $102,246 | −0.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $121,585 | −0.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $143,677 | −0.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Crestview, FL | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Crestview dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $108,420 | $132,120 | $114,578 (+5.7%) |
| Software Developers | $130,640 | $163,270 | $141,592 (+8.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,510 | $96,340 | $83,548 (+5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,260 | $139,520 | $120,995 (+48.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.