City comparison
San Diego, 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 3.3% higher than in San Diego, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in San Diego, CA would need about $103,300 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 $2,459 in San Diego, CA. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 40% in San Diego, 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 +9.4% moving from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA ($121,585 → $133,060), while prices change by +3.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.9% in real buying power.
- San Diego, CA: price level 111.9 (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
| San Diego, CA | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 111.9 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,330 in San Francisco | $96,777 in San Diego |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,459/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 | 40% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,690 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Diego | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 179.3 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 108.0 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 174.2 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 111.9 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Diego, CA → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
24 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → San Diego, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.3%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Diego, CA is in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA pay area; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Diego, CA | San Francisco, CA | Real change, San Diego → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,507 | $77,161 | +5.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,307 | $93,358 | +5.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,246 | $111,896 | +5.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,585 | $133,060 | +5.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,677 | $157,236 | +5.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Diego, CA | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in San Diego dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $97,000 | $101,860 | $98,577 (+1.6%) |
| Software Developers | $163,270 | $186,640 | $180,625 (+10.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $96,340 | $110,730 | $107,161 (+11.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $139,520 | $186,610 | $180,596 (+29.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.