City comparison
Manchester, NH 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 5.9% higher than in Manchester, NH. Someone earning $100,000 in Manchester, NH would need about $105,900 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 $1,552 in Manchester, NH. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 24% in Manchester, NH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Manchester, NH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.9% moving from Manchester, NH to San Diego, CA ($120,548 → $121,585), while prices change by +5.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.8% in real buying power.
- Manchester, NH: price level 105.7 (pricier)
- 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
| Manchester, NH | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.7 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,896 in San Diego | $94,432 in Manchester |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,552/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NH) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,530 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Manchester, NH HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Manchester-Nashua, NH and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Manchester | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 134.2 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 97.7 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 133.5 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 103.7 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 105.7 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Manchester, NH → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.6%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
29 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Manchester, NH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Manchester, NH is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Manchester, NH to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Manchester, NH | San Diego, CA | Real change, Manchester → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $70,507 | −4.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $85,307 | −4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $102,246 | −4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $121,585 | −4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $143,677 | −4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Manchester, NH | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Manchester dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $73,380 | $97,000 | $91,599 (+24.8%) |
| Software Developers | $162,090 | $163,270 | $154,179 (−4.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,660 | $96,340 | $90,976 (+8.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,600 | $139,520 | $131,751 (+33.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.