City comparison
Durham, NC 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 14.7% higher than in Durham, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Durham, NC would need about $114,700 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 $1,507 in Durham, NC. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 24% in Durham, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Durham, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.4% moving from Durham, NC to San Diego, CA ($111,147 → $121,585), while prices change by +14.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.6% in real buying power.
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (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
| Durham, NC | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.6 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,671 in San Diego | $87,206 in Durham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,507/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,720 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Durham | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.9 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 97.6 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Durham, NC → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.8%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Durham, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,589/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Durham, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Durham, NC to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Durham, NC | San Diego, CA | Real change, Durham → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $70,507 | −4.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $85,307 | −4.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $102,246 | −4.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $121,585 | −4.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $143,677 | −4.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Durham, NC | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Durham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $51,400 | $97,000 | $84,590 (+64.6%) |
| Software Developers | $135,620 | $163,270 | $142,381 (+5.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $96,340 | $84,014 (−1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | not published | $139,520 | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.