City comparison
San Diego, CA vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Diego, CA are 25.4% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $125,400 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 $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,116 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Tulsa, OK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.5% moving from San Diego, CA to Tulsa, OK ($121,585 → $106,437), while prices change by −20.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.8% in real buying power.
- San Diego, CA: price level 111.9 (much pricier)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| San Diego, CA | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 111.9 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $79,736 in Tulsa | $125,414 in San Diego |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,459/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,690 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA and Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Diego | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 179.3 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 108.0 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 174.2 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 111.9 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Diego, CA → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +25.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,116/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −20.3%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$1,116/yr.
15 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Diego, CA is in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA pay area; Tulsa, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from San Diego, CA to Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Diego, CA | Tulsa, OK | Real change, San Diego → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,507 | $61,722 | +9.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,307 | $74,678 | +9.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,246 | $89,508 | +9.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,585 | $106,437 | +9.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,677 | $125,776 | +9.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Diego, CA | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in San Diego dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $97,000 | $48,220 | $60,475 (−37.7%) |
| Software Developers | $163,270 | $108,730 | $136,363 (−16.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $96,340 | $81,320 | $101,987 (+5.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $139,520 | $84,790 | $106,339 (−23.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.