City comparison
San Diego, CA vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in San Diego, CA are 15.5% higher than in Tucson, AZ. Someone earning $100,000 in Tucson, AZ would need about $115,500 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 $1,081 in Tucson, AZ. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 17% in Tucson, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,779 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.8% moving from San Diego, CA to Tucson, AZ ($121,585 → $108,455), while prices change by −13.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.0% in real buying power.
- San Diego, CA: price level 111.9 (much pricier)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| San Diego, CA | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 111.9 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,602 in Tucson | $115,471 in San Diego |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,459/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,690 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Diego | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 179.3 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 108.0 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 174.2 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 111.9 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Diego, CA → Tucson, AZ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,779/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tucson, AZ → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.4%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$2,779/yr.
15 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
San Diego, CA is in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from San Diego, CA to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Diego, CA | Tucson, AZ | Real change, San Diego → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,507 | $62,893 | +3.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,307 | $76,095 | +3.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,246 | $91,205 | +3.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,585 | $108,455 | +3.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,677 | $128,162 | +3.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Diego, CA | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in San Diego dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $132,120 | $102,260 | $118,081 (−10.6%) |
| Software Developers | $163,270 | $123,710 | $142,849 (−12.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $96,340 | $76,320 | $88,128 (−8.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $139,520 | $94,110 | $108,670 (−22.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.