City comparison
Albuquerque, NM vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 21.0% higher than in Albuquerque, NM. Someone earning $100,000 in Albuquerque, NM would need about $121,000 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 $1,185 in Albuquerque, NM. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 19% in Albuquerque, NM.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,501 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Albuquerque, NM.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +23.7% moving from Albuquerque, NM to San Francisco, CA ($107,592 → $133,060), while prices change by +21.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.2% in real buying power.
- Albuquerque, NM: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albuquerque, NM | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $121,002 in San Francisco | $82,643 in Albuquerque |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,185/mo | $2,977/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,611 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,569 (NM) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,060 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Albuquerque, NM MSA and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Albuquerque, NM and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albuquerque | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 89.2 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 77.9 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albuquerque, NM → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.4%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$1,501/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Albuquerque, NM
Same pay goes further
Buying power +21.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,501/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albuquerque, NM is in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM pay area; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Albuquerque, NM to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albuquerque, NM | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Albuquerque → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,392 | $77,161 | +2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,489 | $93,358 | +2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,479 | $111,896 | +2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,592 | $133,060 | +2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,141 | $157,236 | +2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albuquerque, NM | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Albuquerque dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $75,520 | $101,860 | $84,180 (+11.5%) |
| Software Developers | $123,700 | $186,640 | $154,245 (+24.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,880 | $110,730 | $91,511 (+14.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,040 | $186,610 | $154,220 (+60.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.