City comparison
Lafayette, LA 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 28.3% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $128,300 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 $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,457 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Lafayette, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.2% moving from Lafayette, LA to San Diego, CA ($106,437 → $121,585), while prices change by +28.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.0% in real buying power.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much 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
| Lafayette, LA | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $128,298 in San Diego | $77,944 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −22.1%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$2,457/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +28.3%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$2,457/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lafayette, LA 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 Lafayette, LA to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | San Diego, CA | Real change, Lafayette → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $70,507 | −11.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $85,307 | −11.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $102,246 | −11.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $121,585 | −11.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $143,677 | −11.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $97,000 | $75,606 (+58.3%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $163,270 | $127,259 (+16.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $96,340 | $75,091 (+11.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $139,520 | $108,747 (+32.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.