City comparison
San Francisco, CA vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 15.2% higher than in Spokane, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Spokane, WA would need about $115,200 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −19.6% moving from San Francisco, CA to Spokane, WA ($133,060 → $106,991), while prices change by −13.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.4% in real buying power.
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (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 Francisco, CA | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 115.6 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,795 in Spokane | $115,214 in San Francisco |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,977/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 | 48% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $74,260 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Francisco | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 194.7 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 108.5 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 172.6 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 106.2 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 115.6 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Francisco, CA → Spokane, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
Spokane, WA → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.2%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
3 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Francisco, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from San Francisco, CA to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Francisco, CA | Spokane, WA | Real change, San Francisco → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $62,044 | −7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $75,068 | −7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $89,974 | −7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $106,991 | −7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $126,432 | −7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Francisco, CA | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in San Francisco dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $98,800 | $113,832 (+11.8%) |
| Software Developers | $186,640 | $130,690 | $150,574 (−19.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $110,730 | $86,350 | $99,488 (−10.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $186,610 | $111,750 | $128,752 (−31.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.