City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs San Luis Obispo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 4.6% higher than in San Luis Obispo, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in San Luis Obispo, CA would need about $104,600 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,914 in San Luis Obispo, CA. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 31% in San Luis Obispo, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $124,085 in either. A transfer from Los Angeles, CA to San Luis Obispo, CA changes real buying power by +4.6%, purely from prices.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
- 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
| Los Angeles, CA | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,624 in San Luis Obispo | $104,577 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $1,914/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.6%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
74 Strong offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.4%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
42 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Los Angeles → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $71,957 | +4.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $87,061 | +4.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $104,349 | +4.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $124,085 | +4.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $146,632 | +4.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $97,620 | $102,088 (+0.2%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $135,020 | $141,199 (−12.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $88,160 | $92,195 (−2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $138,820 | $145,173 (+7.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.