City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs San Diego, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Diego, CA are 13.2% higher than in Atlantic City, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ would need about $113,200 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 $1,537 in Atlantic City, NJ. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 25% in Atlantic City, NJ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $890 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Atlantic City, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.7% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to San Diego, CA ($117,284 → $121,585), while prices change by +13.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.4% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- San Diego, CA: price level 111.9 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,181 in San Diego | $88,354 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.6%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$890/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$890/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | San Diego, CA | Real change, Atlantic City → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $70,507 | −8.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $85,307 | −8.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $102,246 | −8.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $121,585 | −8.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $143,677 | −8.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $97,000 | $85,704 (+6.5%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $163,270 | $144,256 (+13.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $96,340 | $85,121 (+2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $139,520 | $123,272 (+24.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.