City comparison
Kiryas Joel, NY 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 2.3% higher than in Kiryas Joel, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Kiryas Joel, NY would need about $102,300 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 $1,549 in Kiryas Joel, NY. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 25% in Kiryas Joel, NY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.1% moving from Kiryas Joel, NY to San Diego, CA ($125,431 → $121,585), while prices change by +2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.2% in real buying power.
- Kiryas Joel, NY: price level 109.4 (much pricier)
- 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
| Kiryas Joel, NY | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.4 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,253 in San Diego | $97,797 in Kiryas Joel |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,549/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,990 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kiryas Joel | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.8 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 136.8 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 106.5 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 109.4 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kiryas Joel, NY → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.2%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
40 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kiryas Joel, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kiryas Joel, NY to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kiryas Joel, NY | San Diego, CA | Real change, Kiryas Joel → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $70,507 | −5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $85,307 | −5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $102,246 | −5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $121,585 | −5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $143,677 | −5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kiryas Joel, NY | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Kiryas Joel dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $81,770 | $97,000 | $94,863 (+16.0%) |
| Software Developers | $145,830 | $163,270 | $159,673 (+9.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,900 | $96,340 | $94,218 (+6.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $102,890 | $139,520 | $136,446 (+32.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.