City comparison
Port St. Lucie, FL 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 11.6% higher than in Port St. Lucie, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Port St. Lucie, FL would need about $111,600 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 $1,467 in Port St. Lucie, FL. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 22% in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.3% moving from Port St. Lucie, FL to San Diego, CA ($113,356 → $121,585), while prices change by +11.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.9% in real buying power.
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (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
| Port St. Lucie, FL | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,632 in San Diego | $89,580 in Port St. Lucie |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,467/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 | 22% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,490 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Port St. Lucie, FL MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Port St. Lucie, FL and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Port St. Lucie | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 113.6 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 87.0 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Port St. Lucie, FL → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.4%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Port St. Lucie, FL is in the Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Port St. Lucie, FL to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Port St. Lucie, FL | San Diego, CA | Real change, Port St. Lucie → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,735 | $70,507 | −3.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $79,533 | $85,307 | −3.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $95,326 | $102,246 | −3.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $113,356 | $121,585 | −3.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,953 | $143,677 | −3.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Port St. Lucie, FL | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Port St. Lucie dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $53,610 | $97,000 | $86,892 (+62.1%) |
| Software Developers | $128,510 | $163,270 | $146,257 (+13.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,430 | $96,340 | $86,301 (+8.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,090 | $139,520 | $124,982 (+52.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.