City comparison
Boston, MA 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 3.3% higher than in Boston, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Boston, MA would need about $103,300 in San Diego, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $2,476 a month in Boston, MA and $2,459 in San Diego, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $290 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Boston, MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.9% moving from Boston, MA to San Diego, CA ($120,548 → $121,585), while prices change by +3.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.4% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much 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
| Boston, MA | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,345 in San Diego | $96,764 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$290/yr.
36 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Boston, MA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.3%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax −$290/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | San Diego, CA | Real change, Boston → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $70,507 | −2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $85,307 | −2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $102,246 | −2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $121,585 | −2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $143,677 | −2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $97,000 | $93,861 (−4.3%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $163,270 | $157,986 (−4.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $96,340 | $93,222 (−6.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $139,520 | $135,005 (+27.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.