City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs San Luis Obispo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Luis Obispo, CA are 18.5% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $118,500 in San Luis Obispo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,914 a month in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in Birmingham, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.4% moving from Birmingham, AL to San Luis Obispo, CA ($107,510 → $124,085), while prices change by +18.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.6% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- San Luis Obispo, CA: price level 108.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,498 in San Luis Obispo | $84,390 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,914/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.6%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
29 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Birmingham → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $71,957 | −2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $87,061 | −2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $104,349 | −2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $124,085 | −2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $146,632 | −2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $97,620 | $82,381 (+31.5%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $135,020 | $113,943 (−9.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $88,160 | $74,398 (−5.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $138,820 | $117,150 (+48.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.