City comparison
Philadelphia, PA 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 9.1% higher than in Philadelphia, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Philadelphia, PA would need about $109,100 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 $1,520 in Philadelphia, PA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 24% in Philadelphia, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Philadelphia, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.7% moving from Philadelphia, PA to San Diego, CA ($117,284 → $121,585), while prices change by +9.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.0% in real buying power.
- Philadelphia, PA: price level 102.6 (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
| Philadelphia, PA | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.6 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,101 in San Diego | $91,659 in Philadelphia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,520/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,310 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Philadelphia | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 113.1 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 96.8 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 114.4 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 103.1 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 102.6 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Philadelphia, PA → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.3%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
20 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Philadelphia, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Philadelphia, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Philadelphia, PA to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Philadelphia, PA | San Diego, CA | Real change, Philadelphia → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $70,507 | −5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $85,307 | −5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $102,246 | −5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $121,585 | −5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $143,677 | −5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Philadelphia, PA | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Philadelphia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,570 | $97,000 | $88,909 (+13.2%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $163,270 | $149,651 (+12.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,990 | $96,340 | $88,304 (+2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,180 | $139,520 | $127,882 (+26.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.