City comparison
Kansas City, MO 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 20.9% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $120,900 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 $1,197 in Kansas City, MO. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 19% in Kansas City, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,308 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Kansas City, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.4% moving from Kansas City, MO to San Diego, CA ($108,173 → $121,585), while prices change by +20.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.0% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (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
| Kansas City, MO | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $120,903 in San Diego | $82,711 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.3%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$1,308/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,308/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | San Diego, CA | Real change, Kansas City → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $70,507 | −7.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $85,307 | −7.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $102,246 | −7.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $121,585 | −7.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $143,677 | −7.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $97,000 | $80,230 (+31.4%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $163,270 | $135,042 (+8.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $96,340 | $79,684 (−0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $139,520 | $115,399 (+39.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.