City comparison
Merced, CA vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 17.6% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $117,600 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 20% in Merced, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $133,060 in either. A transfer from Merced, CA to San Francisco, CA changes real buying power by −15.0%, purely from prices.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,642 in San Francisco | $85,003 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $2,977/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Merced, CA and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.0%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Both metros are in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Merced → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $77,161 | −15.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $93,358 | −15.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $111,896 | −15.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $133,060 | −15.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $157,236 | −15.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | not published | $162,310 | — |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $186,640 | $158,650 (+20.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $110,730 | $94,124 (+17.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $186,610 | $158,625 (+20.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.