City comparison
Provo, UT 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 10.6% higher than in Provo, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Provo, UT would need about $110,600 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 $1,265 in Provo, UT. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 20% in Provo, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,536 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in Provo, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Provo, UT to San Luis Obispo, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +10.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.5% in real buying power.
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (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
| Provo, UT | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.2 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,551 in San Luis Obispo | $90,456 in Provo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,265/mo | $1,914/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,646 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,534 (UT) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,010 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Provo | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.1 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 78.6 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.2 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Provo, UT → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.5%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$1,536/yr.
30 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Provo, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,536/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Provo, UT is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Provo, UT to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Provo, UT | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Provo → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | +5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | +5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | +5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | +5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | +5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Provo, UT | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Provo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $97,620 | $88,304 (+40.3%) |
| Software Developers | $131,210 | $135,020 | $122,134 (−6.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,700 | $88,160 | $79,746 (+5.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,780 | $138,820 | $125,572 (+53.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.