City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs San Luis Obispo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Luis Obispo, CA are 24.5% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $124,500 in San Luis Obispo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,914 a month in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,457 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in Lafayette, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Lafayette, LA to San Luis Obispo, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +24.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.4% in real buying power.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
- San Luis Obispo, CA: price level 108.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lafayette, LA | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $124,524 in San Luis Obispo | $80,306 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,914/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.7%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$2,457/yr.
29 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +24.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$2,457/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lafayette, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lafayette, LA to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Lafayette → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | −6.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | −6.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | −6.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | −6.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | −6.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $97,620 | $78,395 (+64.1%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $135,020 | $108,429 (−0.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $88,160 | $70,798 (+4.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $138,820 | $111,481 (+36.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.