City comparison
Montgomery, AL vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 21.6% higher than in Montgomery, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Montgomery, AL would need about $121,600 in Salinas, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,232 a month in Salinas, CA versus $870 in Montgomery, AL. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 14% in Montgomery, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in Montgomery, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Montgomery, AL to Salinas, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +21.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.8% in real buying power.
- Montgomery, AL: price level 89.7 (much cheaper)
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Montgomery, AL | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.7 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $121,587 in Salinas | $82,245 in Montgomery |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $870/mo | $2,232/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,950 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Montgomery, AL MSA and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Montgomery, AL and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Montgomery | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 64.3 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 84.9 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 89.7 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Montgomery, AL → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.8%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
21 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → Montgomery, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +21.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Montgomery, AL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Montgomery, AL to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Montgomery, AL | Salinas, CA | Real change, Montgomery → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +2.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +2.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +2.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +2.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +2.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Montgomery, AL | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Montgomery dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,610 | $100,220 | $82,426 (+38.3%) |
| Software Developers | $110,620 | $135,160 | $111,163 (+0.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,040 | $83,810 | $68,930 (−8.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,570 | $134,910 | $110,957 (+39.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.