City comparison
Boulder, CO 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 6.4% higher than in Boulder, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Boulder, CO would need about $106,400 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 $1,795 in Boulder, CO. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 29% in Boulder, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,379 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Boulder, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.5% moving from Boulder, CO to San Diego, CA ($118,675 → $121,585), while prices change by +6.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.7% in real buying power.
- Boulder, CO: price level 105.2 (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
| Boulder, CO | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.2 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,354 in San Diego | $94,025 in Boulder |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,795/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 29% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $69,580 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Boulder, CO MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Boulder, CO and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boulder | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 157.0 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 82.7 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 105.2 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boulder, CO → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.0%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$1,379/yr.
28 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Boulder, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.4%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax −$1,379/yr.
83 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boulder, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boulder, CO to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boulder, CO | San Diego, CA | Real change, Boulder → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $70,507 | −3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $85,307 | −3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $102,246 | −3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $121,585 | −3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $143,677 | −3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boulder, CO | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Boulder dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,640 | $97,000 | $91,204 (+13.1%) |
| Software Developers | $164,560 | $163,270 | $153,515 (−6.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $99,990 | $96,340 | $90,584 (−9.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,290 | $139,520 | $131,184 (+27.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.