City comparison
Portland, ME 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 9.8% higher than in Portland, ME. Someone earning $100,000 in Portland, ME would need about $109,800 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 $1,658 in Portland, ME. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 27% in Portland, ME.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $584 a year higher in Portland, ME than in San Diego, CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.9% moving from Portland, ME to San Diego, CA ($120,548 → $121,585), while prices change by +9.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.2% in real buying power.
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (about average)
- 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
| Portland, ME | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.9 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,846 in San Diego | $91,036 in Portland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,658/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $73,526 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,654 (ME) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,960 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Portland-South Portland, ME and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Portland | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.2 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 97.2 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 134.6 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 103.2 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 101.9 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Portland, ME → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.0%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax −$584/yr.
19 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Portland, ME
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.8%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$584/yr.
96 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Portland, ME is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Portland, ME to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Portland, ME | San Diego, CA | Real change, Portland → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $70,507 | −8.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $85,307 | −8.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $102,246 | −8.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $121,585 | −8.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $143,677 | −8.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Portland, ME | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Portland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,770 | $97,000 | $88,305 (+15.0%) |
| Software Developers | $128,710 | $163,270 | $148,635 (+15.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,790 | $96,340 | $87,705 (+9.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $88,470 | $139,520 | $127,014 (+43.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.