City comparison
Milwaukee, WI 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 12.0% higher than in Milwaukee, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Milwaukee, WI would need about $112,000 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 $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,151 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in Milwaukee, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.5% moving from Milwaukee, WI to San Luis Obispo, CA ($111,310 → $124,085), while prices change by +12.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.5% in real buying power.
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (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
| Milwaukee, WI | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.9 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,027 in San Luis Obispo | $89,264 in Milwaukee |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,119/mo | $1,914/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,160 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Milwaukee | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 91.6 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 96.9 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Milwaukee, WI → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.7%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$1,151/yr.
29 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,151/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Milwaukee, WI is in the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Milwaukee, WI to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Milwaukee, WI | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Milwaukee → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,548 | $71,957 | −0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,098 | $87,061 | −0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,606 | $104,349 | −0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,310 | $124,085 | −0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,535 | $146,632 | −0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Milwaukee, WI | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Milwaukee dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,480 | $97,620 | $87,139 (+41.7%) |
| Software Developers | $123,730 | $135,020 | $120,524 (−2.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,290 | $88,160 | $78,695 (−2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,360 | $138,820 | $123,916 (+27.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.