City comparison
Merced, CA 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 13.9% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $113,900 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 $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 20% in Merced, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.6% moving from Merced, CA to San Diego, CA ($133,060 → $121,585), while prices change by +13.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −19.7% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- 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
| Merced, CA | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,851 in San Diego | $87,834 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $2,459/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 | 20% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Merced, CA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.2%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | San Diego, CA | Real change, Merced → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $70,507 | −19.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $85,307 | −19.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $102,246 | −19.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $121,585 | −19.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $143,677 | −19.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $97,000 | $85,199 (−14.9%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $163,270 | $143,407 (+8.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $96,340 | $84,619 (+5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $139,520 | $122,546 (−6.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.