City comparison
Eugene, OR vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 7.4% higher than in Eugene, OR. Someone earning $100,000 in Eugene, OR would need about $107,400 in Salinas, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,232 a month in Salinas, CA versus $1,286 in Eugene, OR. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 22% in Eugene, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,850 a year higher in Eugene, OR than in Salinas, CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Eugene, OR to Salinas, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +7.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +16.4% in real buying power.
- Eugene, OR: price level 101.6 (about average)
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Eugene, OR | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.6 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,359 in Salinas | $93,146 in Eugene |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,286/mo | $2,232/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $71,260 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $7,920 (OR) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,680 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Eugene-Springfield, OR MSA and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Eugene-Springfield, OR and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Eugene | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.3 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 105.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 102.5 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 101.6 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Eugene, OR → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.9%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax −$2,850/yr.
31 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → Eugene, OR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$2,850/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Eugene, OR is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Eugene, OR to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Eugene, OR | Salinas, CA | Real change, Eugene → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +16.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +16.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +16.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +16.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +16.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Eugene, OR | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Eugene dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,260 | $100,220 | $93,351 (+45.3%) |
| Software Developers | $121,050 | $135,160 | $125,896 (+4.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,930 | $83,810 | $78,065 (−2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $113,720 | $134,910 | $125,663 (+10.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.