City comparison
Houston, TX 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 13.4% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $113,400 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 $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.9% moving from Houston, TX to San Diego, CA ($122,749 → $121,585), while prices change by +13.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.7% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- 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
| Houston, TX | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,442 in San Diego | $88,151 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $2,459/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 | 20% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.8%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | San Diego, CA | Real change, Houston → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $70,507 | −12.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $85,307 | −12.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $102,246 | −12.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $121,585 | −12.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $143,677 | −12.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $97,000 | $85,506 (+32.6%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $163,270 | $143,923 (+11.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $96,340 | $84,924 (−0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $139,520 | $122,988 (+23.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.