City comparison
Lansing, MI 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 17.8% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $117,800 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 $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Lansing, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.6% moving from Lansing, MI to San Diego, CA ($117,402 → $121,585), while prices change by +17.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.1% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (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
| Lansing, MI | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,787 in San Diego | $84,899 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.1%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | San Diego, CA | Real change, Lansing → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $70,507 | −12.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $85,307 | −12.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $102,246 | −12.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $121,585 | −12.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $143,677 | −12.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $97,000 | $82,352 (+12.9%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $163,270 | $138,615 (+42.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $96,340 | $81,792 (+3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $139,520 | $118,451 (+40.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.