City comparison
Omaha, NE 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 18.2% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $118,200 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 $1,148 in Omaha, NE. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 18% in Omaha, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,400 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in Omaha, NE.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.4% moving from Omaha, NE to San Luis Obispo, CA ($107,501 → $124,085), while prices change by +18.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.3% in real buying power.
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (much 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
| Omaha, NE | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,153 in San Luis Obispo | $84,636 in Omaha |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,148/mo | $1,914/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,510 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,670 (NE) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,660 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Omaha, NE-IA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Omaha | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.4 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 76.4 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 93.0 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Omaha, NE → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.4%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$1,400/yr.
29 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,400/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Omaha, NE is in the Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Omaha, NE to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Omaha, NE | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Omaha → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,339 | $71,957 | −2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,425 | $87,061 | −2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,402 | $104,349 | −2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,501 | $124,085 | −2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,033 | $146,632 | −2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Omaha, NE | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Omaha dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,670 | $97,620 | $82,621 (+31.8%) |
| Software Developers | $125,220 | $135,020 | $114,275 (−8.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,030 | $88,160 | $74,615 (−3.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,600 | $138,820 | $117,491 (+38.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.