City comparison
Raleigh, NC 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 14.0% higher than in Raleigh, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Raleigh, NC would need about $114,000 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 $1,596 in Raleigh, NC. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 25% in Raleigh, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Raleigh, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.4% moving from Raleigh, NC to San Diego, CA ($111,147 → $121,585), while prices change by +14.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.0% in real buying power.
- Raleigh, NC: price level 98.2 (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
| Raleigh, NC | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.2 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,988 in San Diego | $87,729 in Raleigh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,596/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,990 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Raleigh-Cary, NC and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Raleigh | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 103.5 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 98.2 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Raleigh, NC → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.3%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Raleigh, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,589/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Raleigh, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Raleigh, NC to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Raleigh, NC | San Diego, CA | Real change, Raleigh → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $70,507 | −4.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $85,307 | −4.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $102,246 | −4.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $121,585 | −4.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $143,677 | −4.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Raleigh, NC | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Raleigh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,170 | $97,000 | $85,097 (+41.4%) |
| Software Developers | $132,770 | $163,270 | $143,235 (+7.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,950 | $96,340 | $84,518 (+3.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,830 | $139,520 | $122,399 (+44.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.