City comparison
Milwaukee, WI 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 15.4% higher than in Milwaukee, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Milwaukee, WI would need about $115,400 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 $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,151 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Milwaukee, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.2% moving from Milwaukee, WI to San Diego, CA ($111,310 → $121,585), while prices change by +15.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.4% in real buying power.
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (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
| Milwaukee, WI | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.9 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,422 in San Diego | $86,638 in Milwaukee |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,119/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,160 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Milwaukee | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 91.6 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 96.9 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Milwaukee, WI → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.4%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$1,151/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,151/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Milwaukee, WI is in the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Milwaukee, WI to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Milwaukee, WI | San Diego, CA | Real change, Milwaukee → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,548 | $70,507 | −5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,098 | $85,307 | −5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,606 | $102,246 | −5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,310 | $121,585 | −5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,535 | $143,677 | −5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Milwaukee, WI | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Milwaukee dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,480 | $97,000 | $84,039 (+36.7%) |
| Software Developers | $123,730 | $163,270 | $141,454 (+14.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,290 | $96,340 | $83,467 (+4.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,360 | $139,520 | $120,878 (+24.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.