City comparison
Bremerton, WA 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 5.9% higher than in Bremerton, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bremerton, WA would need about $105,900 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 $1,548 in Bremerton, WA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 23% in Bremerton, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Bremerton, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.6% moving from Bremerton, WA to San Diego, CA ($119,630 → $121,585), while prices change by +5.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.1% in real buying power.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (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
| Bremerton, WA | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,947 in San Diego | $94,387 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.6%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
29 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Bremerton, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bremerton, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bremerton, WA to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | San Diego, CA | Real change, Bremerton → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $70,507 | −4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $85,307 | −4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $102,246 | −4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $121,585 | −4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $143,677 | −4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,650 | $97,000 | $91,556 (−10.8%) |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $163,270 | $154,106 (+5.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $96,340 | $90,933 (+3.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $139,520 | $131,689 (+22.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.