City comparison
Orlando, FL vs San Diego, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in San Diego, CA are 10.3% higher than in Orlando, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Orlando, FL would need about $110,300 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 $1,731 in Orlando, FL. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 26% in Orlando, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Orlando, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.2% moving from Orlando, FL to San Diego, CA ($106,437 → $121,585), while prices change by +10.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.5% in real buying power.
- Orlando, FL: price level 101.4 (about average)
- 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
| Orlando, FL | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.4 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,323 in San Diego | $90,643 in Orlando |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,731/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,630 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Orlando | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.4 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 87.2 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 101.4 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Orlando, FL → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.4%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
17 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Orlando, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.3%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
98 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Orlando, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Orlando, FL to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Orlando, FL | San Diego, CA | Real change, Orlando → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $70,507 | +3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $85,307 | +3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $102,246 | +3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $121,585 | +3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $143,677 | +3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Orlando, FL | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Orlando dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $129,440 | $132,120 | $119,758 (−7.5%) |
| Software Developers | $129,620 | $163,270 | $147,993 (+14.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,630 | $96,340 | $87,326 (+11.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,550 | $139,520 | $126,465 (+51.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.