City comparison
Baltimore, MD 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 7.1% higher than in Baltimore, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Baltimore, MD would need about $107,100 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 $1,511 in Baltimore, MD. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 24% in Baltimore, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $684 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Baltimore, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.2% moving from Baltimore, MD to San Diego, CA ($121,785 → $121,585), while prices change by +7.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.8% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- 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
| Baltimore, MD | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,082 in San Diego | $93,386 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.6%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$684/yr.
26 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Baltimore, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$684/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | San Diego, CA | Real change, Baltimore → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $70,507 | −6.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $85,307 | −6.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $102,246 | −6.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $121,585 | −6.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $143,677 | −6.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $97,000 | $90,585 (+18.6%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $163,270 | $152,472 (+9.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $96,340 | $89,968 (+5.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $139,520 | $130,292 (+30.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.