City comparison
Reading, PA 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 15.3% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $115,300 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 $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.7% moving from Reading, PA to San Diego, CA ($117,284 → $121,585), while prices change by +15.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.1% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- 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
| Reading, PA | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,276 in San Diego | $86,748 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Reading, PA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.3%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | San Diego, CA | Real change, Reading → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $70,507 | −10.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $85,307 | −10.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $102,246 | −10.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $121,585 | −10.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $143,677 | −10.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $97,000 | $84,146 (+5.4%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $163,270 | $141,634 (+17.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $96,340 | $83,573 (+10.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $139,520 | $121,031 (+22.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.