City comparison
Providence, RI 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 6.7% higher than in Providence, RI. Someone earning $100,000 in Providence, RI would need about $106,700 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 $1,402 in Providence, RI. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 22% in Providence, RI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,922 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.9% moving from Providence, RI to San Luis Obispo, CA ($120,548 → $124,085), while prices change by +6.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.5% in real buying power.
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (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
| Providence, RI | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.8 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,704 in San Luis Obispo | $93,717 in Providence |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,402/mo | $1,914/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% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $53,680 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Providence-Warwick, RI-MA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Providence | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 103.9 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 97.1 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 102.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 101.8 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Providence, RI → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.3%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$1,922/yr.
40 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Providence, RI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,922/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Providence, RI 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 Providence, RI to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Providence, RI | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Providence → 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 | Providence, RI | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Providence dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $86,720 | $97,620 | $91,487 (+5.5%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $135,020 | $126,537 (−3.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,020 | $88,160 | $82,621 (−13.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,880 | $138,820 | $130,098 (+30.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.