City comparison
Phoenix, AZ 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 8.3% higher than in Phoenix, AZ. Someone earning $100,000 in Phoenix, AZ would need about $108,300 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 $1,583 in Phoenix, AZ. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 25% in Phoenix, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,779 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.2% moving from Phoenix, AZ to San Diego, CA ($111,338 → $121,585), while prices change by +8.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.8% in real buying power.
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (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
| Phoenix, AZ | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.3 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,296 in San Diego | $92,340 in Phoenix |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,583/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,889 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,291 (AZ) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,380 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Phoenix | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 121.2 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 95.0 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 93.3 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 104.0 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 103.3 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Phoenix, AZ → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.7%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$2,779/yr.
23 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$2,779/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Phoenix, AZ is in the Phoenix-Mesa, AZ pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Phoenix, AZ to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Phoenix, AZ | San Diego, CA | Real change, Phoenix → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,564 | $70,507 | +0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,117 | $85,307 | +0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,629 | $102,246 | +0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,338 | $121,585 | +0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,568 | $143,677 | +0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Phoenix, AZ | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Phoenix dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,180 | $97,000 | $89,569 (+51.4%) |
| Software Developers | $131,750 | $163,270 | $150,763 (+14.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,820 | $96,340 | $88,960 (+10.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,830 | $139,520 | $128,832 (+27.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.