City comparison
Phoenix, AZ 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 5.1% higher than in Phoenix, AZ. Someone earning $100,000 in Phoenix, AZ would need about $105,100 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 $1,583 in Phoenix, AZ. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 25% in Phoenix, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,779 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.4% moving from Phoenix, AZ to San Luis Obispo, CA ($111,338 → $124,085), while prices change by +5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.0% in real buying power.
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
- 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
| Phoenix, AZ | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.3 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,111 in San Luis Obispo | $95,138 in Phoenix |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,583/mo | $1,914/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% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,380 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Phoenix | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 121.2 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 95.0 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 93.3 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 104.0 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.3 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Phoenix, AZ → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.9%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$2,779/yr.
45 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$2,779/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Phoenix, AZ is in the Phoenix-Mesa, AZ pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Phoenix, AZ to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Phoenix, AZ | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Phoenix → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,564 | $71,957 | +6.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,117 | $87,061 | +6.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,629 | $104,349 | +6.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,338 | $124,085 | +6.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,568 | $146,632 | +6.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Phoenix, AZ | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Phoenix dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,180 | $97,620 | $92,874 (+56.9%) |
| Software Developers | $131,750 | $135,020 | $128,455 (−2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,820 | $88,160 | $83,874 (+3.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,830 | $138,820 | $132,070 (+31.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.