City comparison
Reno, NV 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 10.8% higher than in Reno, NV. Someone earning $100,000 in Reno, NV would need about $110,800 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 $1,489 in Reno, NV. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 23% in Reno, NV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Reno, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.8% moving from Reno, NV to San Diego, CA ($106,855 → $121,585), while prices change by +10.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.7% in real buying power.
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (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
| Reno, NV | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.0 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,764 in San Diego | $90,282 in Reno |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,489/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,660 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Reno-Fernley, NV | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Reno, NV and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reno | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.5 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 101.0 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reno, NV → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.7%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
16 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Reno, NV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reno, NV is in the Reno-Fernley, NV pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Reno, NV to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reno, NV | San Diego, CA | Real change, Reno → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,965 | $70,507 | +2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,972 | $85,307 | +2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,859 | $102,246 | +2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,855 | $121,585 | +2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,271 | $143,677 | +2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reno, NV | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Reno dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,430 | $97,000 | $87,574 (+40.3%) |
| Software Developers | $125,710 | $163,270 | $147,404 (+17.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,370 | $96,340 | $86,978 (+5.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,520 | $139,520 | $125,962 (+17.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.