City comparison
Pittsburgh, PA 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 14.7% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $114,700 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 $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.8% moving from Pittsburgh, PA to San Luis Obispo, CA ($110,047 → $124,085), while prices change by +14.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.7% in real buying power.
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (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
| Pittsburgh, PA | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,709 in San Luis Obispo | $87,177 in Pittsburgh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,077/mo | $1,914/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 | 17% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,650 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Pittsburgh, PA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Pittsburgh | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.0 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 107.7 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Pittsburgh, PA → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.8%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
29 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Pittsburgh, PA is in the Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Pittsburgh, PA to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Pittsburgh, PA | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Pittsburgh → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,815 | $71,957 | −1.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,211 | $87,061 | −1.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,543 | $104,349 | −1.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,047 | $124,085 | −1.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,042 | $146,632 | −1.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Pittsburgh, PA | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Pittsburgh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,550 | $97,620 | $85,102 (+11.2%) |
| Software Developers | $124,500 | $135,020 | $117,707 (−5.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,940 | $88,160 | $76,855 (−0.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,370 | $138,820 | $121,019 (+46.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.