City comparison
Cincinnati, OH 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 13.9% higher than in Cincinnati, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cincinnati, OH would need about $113,900 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 $1,051 in Cincinnati, OH. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 16% in Cincinnati, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in Cincinnati, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.9% moving from Cincinnati, OH to San Luis Obispo, CA ($110,865 → $124,085), while prices change by +13.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.7% in real buying power.
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (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
| Cincinnati, OH | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.4 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,868 in San Luis Obispo | $87,821 in Cincinnati |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,051/mo | $1,914/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,170 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cincinnati | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.6 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 91.0 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 95.4 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cincinnati, OH → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.2%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
29 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Cincinnati, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cincinnati, OH is in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Cincinnati, OH to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cincinnati, OH | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Cincinnati → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,290 | $71,957 | −1.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,785 | $87,061 | −1.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,231 | $104,349 | −1.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,865 | $124,085 | −1.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,009 | $146,632 | −1.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cincinnati, OH | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Cincinnati dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,740 | $97,620 | $85,731 (+32.4%) |
| Software Developers | $121,420 | $135,020 | $118,576 (−2.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,640 | $88,160 | $77,423 (−4.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,650 | $138,820 | $121,913 (+45.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.