City comparison
Des Moines, IA 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 22.0% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $122,000 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 $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,922 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.3% moving from Des Moines, IA to San Diego, CA ($107,301 → $121,585), while prices change by +22.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.1% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much 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
| Des Moines, IA | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $122,013 in San Diego | $81,959 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.0%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$1,922/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +22.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,922/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | San Diego, CA | Real change, Des Moines → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $70,507 | −7.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $85,307 | −7.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $102,246 | −7.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $121,585 | −7.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $143,677 | −7.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $97,000 | $79,500 (+29.0%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $163,270 | $133,814 (+5.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $96,340 | $78,959 (−0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $139,520 | $114,349 (+45.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.