City comparison
Riverside, CA 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 5.1% higher than in Riverside, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Riverside, CA would need about $105,100 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 $1,777 in Riverside, CA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 29% in Riverside, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.0% moving from Riverside, CA to San Diego, CA ($124,085 → $121,585), while prices change by +5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.8% in real buying power.
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
- 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
| Riverside, CA | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.4 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,115 in San Diego | $95,133 in Riverside |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,777/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 29% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,400 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Riverside | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.3 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 101.4 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 101.3 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 106.4 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Riverside, CA → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.9%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
31 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Riverside, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.1%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Riverside, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Riverside, CA to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Riverside, CA | San Diego, CA | Real change, Riverside → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $70,507 | −6.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $85,307 | −6.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $102,246 | −6.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $121,585 | −6.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $143,677 | −6.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Riverside, CA | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Riverside dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,520 | $97,000 | $92,279 (−6.3%) |
| Software Developers | $133,270 | $163,270 | $155,324 (+16.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,920 | $96,340 | $91,652 (+9.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $133,940 | $139,520 | $132,730 (−0.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.