City comparison
Jacksonville, FL 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 12.5% higher than in Jacksonville, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Jacksonville, FL would need about $112,500 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 $1,382 in Jacksonville, FL. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 21% in Jacksonville, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Jacksonville, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.2% moving from Jacksonville, FL to San Diego, CA ($106,437 → $121,585), while prices change by +12.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.6% in real buying power.
- Jacksonville, FL: price level 99.5 (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
| Jacksonville, FL | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.5 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,467 in San Diego | $88,915 in Jacksonville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,382/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 | 21% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,830 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Jacksonville, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Jacksonville, FL and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Jacksonville | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.8 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 87.5 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 99.5 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Jacksonville, FL → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.1%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Jacksonville, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.5%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Jacksonville, 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 Jacksonville, FL to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Jacksonville, FL | San Diego, CA | Real change, Jacksonville → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $70,507 | +1.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $85,307 | +1.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $102,246 | +1.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $121,585 | +1.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $143,677 | +1.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Jacksonville, FL | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Jacksonville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,080 | $97,000 | $86,247 (+41.2%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $163,270 | $145,171 (+11.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,960 | $96,340 | $85,660 (+7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,520 | $139,520 | $124,054 (+48.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.