City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 18.6% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $118,600 in Salinas, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,232 a month in Salinas, CA versus $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 18% in Augusta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $503 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in Augusta, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Augusta, GA to Salinas, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +18.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.4% in real buying power.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Augusta, GA | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,649 in Salinas | $84,282 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $2,232/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.7%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$503/yr.
21 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$503/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Augusta, GA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Augusta, GA to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Salinas, CA | Real change, Augusta → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $100,220 | $84,468 (+34.1%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $135,160 | $113,916 (−4.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $83,810 | $70,637 (−7.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $134,910 | $113,705 (+29.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.