City comparison
San Diego, CA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Diego, CA are 27.5% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $127,500 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 $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.6% moving from San Diego, CA to Tuscaloosa, AL ($121,585 → $107,510), while prices change by −21.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.8% in real buying power.
- San Diego, CA: price level 111.9 (much pricier)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (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 | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 111.9 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $78,402 in Tuscaloosa | $127,547 in San Diego |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,459/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,690 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Diego | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 179.3 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 108.0 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 174.2 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 111.9 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Diego, CA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +27.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −21.6%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
15 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Diego, CA is in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from San Diego, CA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Diego, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, San Diego → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,507 | $62,344 | +12.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,307 | $75,431 | +12.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,246 | $90,410 | +12.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,585 | $107,510 | +12.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,677 | $127,044 | +12.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Diego, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in San Diego dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $97,000 | $60,220 | $76,809 (−20.8%) |
| Software Developers | $163,270 | $104,870 | $133,759 (−18.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $96,340 | $71,690 | $91,439 (−5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $139,520 | $75,250 | $95,979 (−31.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.