City comparison
Providence, RI 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 9.9% higher than in Providence, RI. Someone earning $100,000 in Providence, RI would need about $109,900 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 $1,402 in Providence, RI. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 22% in Providence, RI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,922 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.9% moving from Providence, RI to San Diego, CA ($120,548 → $121,585), while prices change by +9.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.3% in real buying power.
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (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
| Providence, RI | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.8 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,938 in San Diego | $90,961 in Providence |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,402/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (RI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $53,680 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Providence-Warwick, RI-MA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Providence | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 103.9 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 97.1 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 102.3 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 101.8 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Providence, RI → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.0%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$1,922/yr.
18 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Providence, RI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,922/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Providence, RI is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Providence, RI to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Providence, RI | San Diego, CA | Real change, Providence → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $70,507 | −8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $85,307 | −8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $102,246 | −8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $121,585 | −8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $143,677 | −8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Providence, RI | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Providence dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $86,720 | $97,000 | $88,232 (+1.7%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $163,270 | $148,511 (+13.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,020 | $96,340 | $87,631 (−7.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,880 | $139,520 | $126,908 (+27.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.