City comparison
Columbus, GA vs San Jose, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Jose, CA are 23.7% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $123,700 in San Jose, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $503 a year higher in San Jose, CA than in Columbus, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +18.2% moving from Columbus, GA to San Jose, CA ($112,556 → $133,060), while prices change by +23.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.4% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (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 Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 110.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $123,660 in San Jose | $80,867 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $2,982/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% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $84,050 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 211.9 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 156.7 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 110.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → San Jose, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.1%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$503/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Jose, CA → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +23.7%; 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 Jose, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to San Jose, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | San Jose, CA | Real change, Columbus → San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $77,161 | −4.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $93,358 | −4.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $111,896 | −4.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $133,060 | −4.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $157,236 | −4.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | San Jose, CA | San Jose pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $102,860 | $83,180 (+35.6%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $213,110 | $172,336 (+48.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $121,700 | $98,415 (+33.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $216,740 | $175,272 (+112.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.