City comparison
San Diego, CA vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Diego, CA are 11.5% higher than in Spokane, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Spokane, WA would need about $111,500 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 $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.0% moving from San Diego, CA to Spokane, WA ($121,585 → $106,991), while prices change by −10.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.9% in real buying power.
- San Diego, CA: price level 111.9 (much pricier)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| San Diego, CA | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 111.9 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,685 in Spokane | $111,501 in San Diego |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,459/mo | $1,193/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,690 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Diego | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 179.3 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 108.0 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 174.2 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 111.9 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Diego, CA → Spokane, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
Spokane, WA → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.3%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
15 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Diego, CA is in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from San Diego, CA to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Diego, CA | Spokane, WA | Real change, San Diego → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,507 | $62,044 | −1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,307 | $75,068 | −1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,246 | $89,974 | −1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,585 | $106,991 | −1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,677 | $126,432 | −1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Diego, CA | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in San Diego dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $97,000 | $98,800 | $110,163 (+13.6%) |
| Software Developers | $163,270 | $130,690 | $145,721 (−10.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $96,340 | $86,350 | $96,281 (−0.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $139,520 | $111,750 | $124,603 (−10.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.