City comparison
Portland, ME vs San Luis Obispo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Luis Obispo, CA are 6.6% higher than in Portland, ME. Someone earning $100,000 in Portland, ME would need about $106,600 in San Luis Obispo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,914 a month in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $1,658 in Portland, ME. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 27% in Portland, ME.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $584 a year higher in Portland, ME than in San Luis Obispo, CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.9% moving from Portland, ME to San Luis Obispo, CA ($120,548 → $124,085), while prices change by +6.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.5% in real buying power.
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (about average)
- San Luis Obispo, CA: price level 108.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Portland, ME | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.9 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,615 in San Luis Obispo | $93,795 in Portland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,658/mo | $1,914/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $73,526 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,654 (ME) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,960 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Portland-South Portland, ME and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Portland | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.2 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 97.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 134.6 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 103.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 101.9 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Portland, ME → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax −$584/yr.
40 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Portland, ME
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.6%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$584/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Portland, ME is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Portland, ME to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Portland, ME | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Portland → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $71,957 | −3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $87,061 | −3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $104,349 | −3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $124,085 | −3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $146,632 | −3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Portland, ME | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Portland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,770 | $97,620 | $91,563 (+19.3%) |
| Software Developers | $128,710 | $135,020 | $126,642 (−1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,790 | $88,160 | $82,690 (+3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $88,470 | $138,820 | $130,207 (+47.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.