City comparison
Minneapolis, MN 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 6.7% higher than in Minneapolis, MN. Someone earning $100,000 in Minneapolis, MN would need about $106,700 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 $1,405 in Minneapolis, MN. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 23% in Minneapolis, MN.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $5,277 a year in MN and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.8% moving from Minneapolis, MN to San Diego, CA ($116,038 → $121,585), while prices change by +6.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.8% in real buying power.
- Minneapolis, MN: price level 104.8 (pricier)
- 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
| Minneapolis, MN | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.8 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,740 in San Diego | $93,686 in Minneapolis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,405/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $73,903 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,277 (MN) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,320 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Minneapolis | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.8 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 103.1 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 93.5 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 104.8 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Minneapolis, MN → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.3%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax −$206/yr.
27 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Minneapolis, MN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$206/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Minneapolis, MN is in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Minneapolis, MN to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Minneapolis, MN | San Diego, CA | Real change, Minneapolis → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,290 | $70,507 | −1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,415 | $85,307 | −1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,582 | $102,246 | −1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $116,038 | $121,585 | −1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $137,123 | $143,677 | −1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Minneapolis, MN | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Minneapolis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,730 | $97,000 | $90,875 (+14.0%) |
| Software Developers | $130,920 | $163,270 | $152,960 (+16.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $86,500 | $96,340 | $90,257 (+4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,040 | $139,520 | $130,710 (+26.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.