City comparison
Salinas, CA 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 2.6% higher than in Salinas, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Salinas, CA would need about $102,600 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 $2,232 in Salinas, CA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 36% in Salinas, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.6% moving from Salinas, CA to San Diego, CA ($133,060 → $121,585), while prices change by +2.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.9% in real buying power.
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much pricier)
- 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
| Salinas, CA | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.0 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,609 in San Diego | $97,457 in Salinas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,232/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 36% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,380 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Salinas, CA MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Salinas, CA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salinas | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 145.7 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 154.2 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 109.0 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salinas, CA → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.5%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
39 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Salinas, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.6%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Salinas, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Salinas, CA to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salinas, CA | San Diego, CA | Real change, Salinas → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $70,507 | −10.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $85,307 | −10.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $102,246 | −10.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $121,585 | −10.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $143,677 | −10.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salinas, CA | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Salinas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,220 | $97,000 | $94,534 (−5.7%) |
| Software Developers | $135,160 | $163,270 | $159,118 (+17.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,810 | $96,340 | $93,890 (+12.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $134,910 | $139,520 | $135,972 (+0.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.