City comparison
Montgomery, AL vs San Jose, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Jose, CA are 23.1% higher than in Montgomery, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Montgomery, AL would need about $123,100 in San Jose, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $870 in Montgomery, AL. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 14% in Montgomery, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in San Jose, 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 San Jose, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +23.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.5% in real buying power.
- Montgomery, AL: price level 89.7 (much cheaper)
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Montgomery, AL | San Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.7 | 110.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $123,127 in San Jose | $81,217 in Montgomery |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $870/mo | $2,982/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% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,950 | $84,050 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Montgomery, AL MSA and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Montgomery, AL and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Montgomery | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 64.3 | 211.9 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 84.9 | 156.7 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 89.7 | 110.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Montgomery, AL → San Jose, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.8%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Jose, CA → Montgomery, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +23.1%; 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; San Jose, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Montgomery, AL to San Jose, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Montgomery, AL | San Jose, CA | Real change, Montgomery → San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Montgomery, AL | San Jose, CA | San Jose pay in Montgomery dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,610 | $102,860 | $83,540 (+40.1%) |
| Software Developers | $110,620 | $213,110 | $173,081 (+56.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,040 | $121,700 | $98,841 (+31.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,570 | $216,740 | $176,029 (+121.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.