City comparison
Riverside, CA 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 2.0% higher than in Riverside, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Riverside, CA would need about $102,000 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 $1,777 in Riverside, CA. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, 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.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $124,085 in either. A transfer from Riverside, CA to San Luis Obispo, CA changes real buying power by −2.0%, purely from prices.
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
- 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
| Riverside, CA | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.4 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,024 in San Luis Obispo | $98,017 in Riverside |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,777/mo | $1,914/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% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,400 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Riverside | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.3 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 101.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 101.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 106.4 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Riverside, CA → San Luis Obispo, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
54 Fair offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Riverside, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.0%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Riverside, CA to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Riverside, CA | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Riverside → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $71,957 | −2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $87,061 | −2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $104,349 | −2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $124,085 | −2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $146,632 | −2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Riverside, CA | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Riverside dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,520 | $97,620 | $95,684 (−2.9%) |
| Software Developers | $133,270 | $135,020 | $132,342 (−0.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,920 | $88,160 | $86,411 (+3.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $133,940 | $138,820 | $136,067 (+1.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.