City comparison
Pittsburgh, PA 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 18.2% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $118,200 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 $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.5% moving from Pittsburgh, PA to San Diego, CA ($110,047 → $121,585), while prices change by +18.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.5% in real buying power.
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (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
| Pittsburgh, PA | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,185 in San Diego | $84,613 in Pittsburgh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,077/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,650 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Pittsburgh, PA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Pittsburgh | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.0 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 107.7 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Pittsburgh, PA → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.4%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Pittsburgh, PA is in the Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Pittsburgh, PA to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Pittsburgh, PA | San Diego, CA | Real change, Pittsburgh → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,815 | $70,507 | −6.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,211 | $85,307 | −6.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,543 | $102,246 | −6.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,047 | $121,585 | −6.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,042 | $143,677 | −6.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Pittsburgh, PA | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Pittsburgh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,550 | $97,000 | $82,075 (+7.2%) |
| Software Developers | $124,500 | $163,270 | $138,148 (+11.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,940 | $96,340 | $81,516 (+5.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,370 | $139,520 | $118,052 (+43.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.