City comparison
Detroit, MI vs San Luis Obispo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Luis Obispo, CA are 8.3% higher than in Detroit, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Detroit, MI would need about $108,300 in San Luis Obispo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,914 a month in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in Detroit, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.7% moving from Detroit, MI to San Luis Obispo, CA ($117,402 → $124,085), while prices change by +8.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.4% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- San Luis Obispo, CA: price level 108.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Detroit, MI | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,273 in San Luis Obispo | $92,359 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,914/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.6%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
36 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Detroit, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Detroit → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $71,957 | −2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $87,061 | −2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $104,349 | −2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $124,085 | −2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $146,632 | −2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $97,620 | $90,161 (+38.3%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $135,020 | $124,703 (−4.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $88,160 | $81,424 (+1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $138,820 | $128,213 (+31.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.