City comparison
San Diego, CA vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Overall prices in San Diego, CA (111.9) and Seattle, WA (111.1, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in San Diego, CA goes as far as $99,300 in Seattle, WA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,459 a month in San Diego, CA versus $2,146 in Seattle, WA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 33% in Seattle, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.6% moving from San Diego, CA to Seattle, WA ($121,585 → $119,630), while prices change by −0.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.9% in real buying power.
- San Diego, CA: price level 111.9 (much pricier)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (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 | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 111.9 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,326 in Seattle | $100,678 in San Diego |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,459/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,690 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Diego | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 179.3 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 108.0 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 174.2 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 111.9 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Diego, CA → Seattle, WA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.7%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
60 Fair offer
Seattle, WA → San Diego, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.7%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
44 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
San Diego, CA is in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from San Diego, CA to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Diego, CA | Seattle, WA | Real change, San Diego → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,507 | $69,373 | −0.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,307 | $83,935 | −0.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,246 | $100,602 | −0.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,585 | $119,630 | −0.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,677 | $141,367 | −0.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Diego, CA | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in San Diego dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $132,120 | $161,780 | $162,878 (+23.3%) |
| Software Developers | $163,270 | $167,280 | $168,415 (+3.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $96,340 | $99,370 | $100,044 (+3.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $139,520 | $128,260 | $129,130 (−7.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.