City comparison
Salinas, CA vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 6.0% higher than in Salinas, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Salinas, CA would need about $106,000 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $2,232 in Salinas, CA. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, 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.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $133,060 in either. A transfer from Salinas, CA to San Francisco, CA changes real buying power by −5.7%, purely from prices.
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much pricier)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (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 Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.0 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,026 in San Francisco | $94,316 in Salinas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,232/mo | $2,977/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% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,380 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Salinas, CA MSA and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Salinas, CA and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salinas | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 145.7 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 154.2 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 109.0 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salinas, CA → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.7%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
16 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Salinas, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.0%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
71 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Salinas, CA to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salinas, CA | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Salinas → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $77,161 | −5.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $93,358 | −5.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $111,896 | −5.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $133,060 | −5.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $157,236 | −5.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salinas, CA | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Salinas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,220 | $101,860 | $96,071 (−4.1%) |
| Software Developers | $135,160 | $186,640 | $176,032 (+30.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,810 | $110,730 | $104,437 (+24.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $134,910 | $186,610 | $176,004 (+30.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.