City comparison
Fort Collins, CO 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 10.6% higher than in Fort Collins, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Fort Collins, CO would need about $110,600 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 $1,537 in Fort Collins, CO. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 24% in Fort Collins, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,379 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Fort Collins, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.5% moving from Fort Collins, CO to San Diego, CA ($118,675 → $121,585), while prices change by +10.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.4% in real buying power.
- Fort Collins, CO: price level 101.1 (about average)
- 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
| Fort Collins, CO | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.1 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,639 in San Diego | $90,384 in Fort Collins |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,310 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fort Collins | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.6 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 101.1 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fort Collins, CO → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.6%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$1,379/yr.
16 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,379/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fort Collins, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fort Collins, CO to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fort Collins, CO | San Diego, CA | Real change, Fort Collins → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $70,507 | −7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $85,307 | −7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $102,246 | −7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $121,585 | −7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $143,677 | −7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fort Collins, CO | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Fort Collins dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $97,000 | $87,673 (+39.3%) |
| Software Developers | $133,990 | $163,270 | $147,570 (+10.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $89,340 | $96,340 | $87,076 (−2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,600 | $139,520 | $126,104 (+29.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.