City comparison
Austin, TX 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 14.1% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $114,100 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 $1,562 in Austin, TX. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 24% in Austin, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.1% moving from Austin, TX to San Diego, CA ($109,428 → $121,585), while prices change by +14.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.6% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (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
| Austin, TX | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,094 in San Diego | $87,647 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.4%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | San Diego, CA | Real change, Austin → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $70,507 | −2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $85,307 | −2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $102,246 | −2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $121,585 | −2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $143,677 | −2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $97,000 | $85,018 (+38.8%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $163,270 | $143,102 (+6.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $96,340 | $84,439 (+1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $139,520 | $122,286 (+24.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.