City comparison
Columbus, GA 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 25.3% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $125,300 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 $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $503 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Columbus, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.0% moving from Columbus, GA to San Diego, CA ($112,556 → $121,585), while prices change by +25.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.8% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Columbus, GA | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $125,299 in San Diego | $79,809 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −20.2%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$503/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +25.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$503/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | San Diego, CA | Real change, Columbus → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $70,507 | −13.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $85,307 | −13.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $102,246 | −13.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $121,585 | −13.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $143,677 | −13.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $97,000 | $77,415 (+26.2%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $163,270 | $130,304 (+12.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $96,340 | $76,888 (+4.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $139,520 | $111,350 (+35.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.