City comparison
Port St. Lucie, FL vs San Jose, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Jose, CA are 10.2% higher than in Port St. Lucie, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Port St. Lucie, FL would need about $110,200 in San Jose, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $1,467 in Port St. Lucie, FL. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 22% in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Jose, CA than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.4% moving from Port St. Lucie, FL to San Jose, CA ($113,356 → $133,060), while prices change by +10.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.5% in real buying power.
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Port St. Lucie, FL | San Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 110.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,172 in San Jose | $90,767 in Port St. Lucie |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,467/mo | $2,982/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,490 | $84,050 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Port St. Lucie, FL MSA and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Port St. Lucie, FL and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Port St. Lucie | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 113.6 | 211.9 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 87.0 | 156.7 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 110.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Port St. Lucie, FL → San Jose, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.2%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
5 Weak offer
San Jose, CA → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Port St. Lucie, FL is in the Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL pay area; San Jose, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Port St. Lucie, FL to San Jose, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Port St. Lucie, FL | San Jose, CA | Real change, Port St. Lucie → San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,735 | $77,161 | +6.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $79,533 | $93,358 | +6.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $95,326 | $111,896 | +6.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $113,356 | $133,060 | +6.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,953 | $157,236 | +6.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Port St. Lucie, FL | San Jose, CA | San Jose pay in Port St. Lucie dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $53,610 | $102,860 | $93,363 (+74.2%) |
| Software Developers | $128,510 | $213,110 | $193,434 (+50.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,430 | $121,700 | $110,464 (+39.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,090 | $216,740 | $196,729 (+139.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.