City comparison
New York, NY vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 3.2% higher than in Salinas, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Salinas, CA would need about $103,200 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $2,232 in Salinas, CA. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 36% in Salinas, CA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.1% moving from New York, NY to Salinas, CA ($125,431 → $133,060), while prices change by −3.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.5% in real buying power.
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New York, NY | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 112.6 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,872 in Salinas | $103,229 in New York |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,655/mo | $2,232/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 43% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,430 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New York | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.6 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 127.0 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 105.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 112.6 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New York, NY → Salinas, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
62 Fair offer
Salinas, CA → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
32 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
New York, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from New York, NY to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New York, NY | Salinas, CA | Real change, New York → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $77,161 | +9.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $93,358 | +9.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $111,896 | +9.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $133,060 | +9.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $157,236 | +9.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New York, NY | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in New York dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $96,900 | $100,220 | $103,456 (+6.8%) |
| Software Developers | $166,830 | $135,160 | $139,524 (−16.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $105,650 | $83,810 | $86,516 (−18.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $119,720 | $134,910 | $139,266 (+16.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.