City comparison
Memphis, TN 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 21.4% higher than in Memphis, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Memphis, TN would need about $121,400 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 $1,154 in Memphis, TN. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 17% in Memphis, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Memphis, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.2% moving from Memphis, TN to San Diego, CA ($106,437 → $121,585), while prices change by +21.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.9% in real buying power.
- Memphis, TN: price level 92.2 (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
| Memphis, TN | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $121,380 in San Diego | $82,386 in Memphis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,154/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,890 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Memphis | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.8 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 74.1 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 95.4 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Memphis, TN → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.6%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Memphis, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +21.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Memphis, TN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Memphis, TN to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Memphis, TN | San Diego, CA | Real change, Memphis → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $70,507 | −5.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $85,307 | −5.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $102,246 | −5.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $121,585 | −5.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $143,677 | −5.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Memphis, TN | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Memphis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,510 | $97,000 | $79,914 (+29.9%) |
| Software Developers | $125,580 | $163,270 | $134,511 (+7.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,960 | $96,340 | $79,370 (+3.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,500 | $139,520 | $114,945 (+41.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.