City comparison
Boise City, ID 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 10.4% higher than in Boise City, ID. Someone earning $100,000 in Boise City, ID would need about $110,400 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 $1,381 in Boise City, ID. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 22% in Boise City, ID.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $879 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in Boise City, ID.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Boise City, ID to San Luis Obispo, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +10.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.6% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (about average)
- 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
| Boise City, ID | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,372 in San Luis Obispo | $90,603 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $1,914/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.4%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$879/yr.
30 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Boise City, ID
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$879/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boise City, ID to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Boise City → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | +5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | +5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | +5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | +5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | +5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $97,620 | $88,446 (+44.4%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $135,020 | $122,332 (−7.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $88,160 | $79,875 (+4.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $138,820 | $125,775 (+28.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.